au be 
atts ante 


f pats hi ee nh tt 
toy Late. 
Sait Rid 





soak Fase Ne ky 

oe atest ae 

wrasiert RSet 
jyelets 

” att uf 

pO ee ar haces 

coy} ae 


_ 


ur alge ey Tat toles bat 
eveate oH ais avs ties: £4 
Adin Pay wine ee atetters 
Het tes bse ereg sy etl oper: 
} t ’ 2 ore 


: 


ERS 





+ 








ee 
Sata 


the . 
3 ry Seay ef Let rl ier Seay. 
ieH}{ Seytr i Ee tee Fo, ; xt f fe a ; es sie 
WRIA LILES beat tit tat hed TN CASO hiss 4: aye : : 45 
Mapes b aes ors os EeEaes yest pis 4 Yat ts 
a) Meiers beet onty ary ayetay Mie r ee : Ls é se 
bade y 4 


i: 


deat uy 


ete 
A acer itpeaye, 
+ vee theses aaa me Het 
’ " 9 Pe is x « PWS es i 
hh Hyannis 4 of Wks werar a ae ws + 
ig Pa seein WAL hath ks bee e ior 
% , v4 : atest 
fe : ates " Lak ep A Gras cay Gearin he & 
use, _ i Petey bir iaie ne sie a Fats hihi beg, se atieag Al >; Hee 
ond fst ‘. : ee it melee cat o6 # varsae ps ea Po 
. : pate cates > 7 ns ? i - 
% foe ‘ Le PV wm seh eecetasigny finns ity ie org BaP ISA PATS nrg t Be ¥ xr sate rag 4 
$ sates , 
rie ea £7 ; 











te t ‘ past 
® wih if eR SEN, chabert vitae te 
ae + ee aay a a Hata, isu uy : # * ‘ 4 3 6 eat pearee tut 
wyr thiroa ne iets ‘ 
Beas tear enieia! 
ay ve 


¥ + 
. tts’ ir er 
rath batts Le Ler 
Sey hig et ae amas? 
Pure teh Re tefury, & ARS 
. ett uth ‘4 
ean 
a 


eet 
fare eA Ge 
Ges 457518 "ON es 
ete 
. 





‘ 
y ase 
a Peet ee cat? 
eee Wiss re ‘) * 


baba Leal yet *, 





Stites 
CRN ees 
" 


ie 
Ms 
2 oe ‘ 
$f), vu 


ropes atta a 3 its; “ive et sf ney 
ML eahouret ehh ada 
- 4ath 4 “ 7 
aa ieee nt Deh ' rae, 
is ” 
ads) bel 
sats 
settee 


- a ie 
Sse 
a Fe 


HOY Bae i s 
aa i 
eee 


RIky i ong 
ae ie me “ 
at aS 


Reta 
ste 46, aah 





45 hae Dwabae 
« 

sae SAY, ote Aa. 
eee 
lon: vahgls® te Sate 
Witte Pipa sea aad patsy te, 
CPUC Sonat TF Dae yU54 “ 
a rs 


Cari wits Vins t he 
Loree bette hay 





CAL FOR, 
8 

| z 
& 

HVUaITANY 


UNIVER 


VaOANVI-19 


aysors 
a 


M4OITV)-30 


mxysor 


LIBRARY:Q¢ 


OF CALIFO 
70 A8V4AN 


§ 
4 
5 
= 
4 
op lOSANCE 


a 
A 
5 
5 
BY Na 


OF-CALIFORY, 
YOMVUAN 


Ab lIBRARY.O¢ 


Ny 
USBNNOAS 


SNUOSANCE 


MWaaiy40 


e) 
= 
3 
we 


SHEUNIVERS/p, 
STIONY.SOV 


$ 
= 
=>) 
a 
Gi 


Ys 
A 
FS 
faa) 

oe 


F-CALIFORy, 


Settee 


39 


USHINNN: nS 


Ss 
3 
= 
S 
s 


OF CALIFORY, 
YOKAYVAAI® 


oo 


: 
or 
by 


MaOdITY)-40P 


$ 


AS8ININN-ANS 


CUSSYNIND- 


sp lOS-ANCE 
ol 


py 


QE UNIVER 


Ss 


if 


C-LIBRARYG, 


AN 


oy 


ELIBRARY >, 


\ 
MAOIs 


2 
S 
L, 


snlsniieyy 
ae 


Spy 


S\EUNIVER 


S 
incor 


QELIBRARYOs, 


AN 


cS 


Ice 


Wao {¥)-40 
OF CAL ORY, 


SS 


lbee 
Goreme 


OANA ® 


LOSANCELES, 


&, 


OF-CALIFORy, 
SOAMVYGITAS 


Ny 


~ 


TYSHININD: > 
gis ee 


OF CALIFORY 
AuVaaTT ae 


%. 


USANA jy 


XELIBRARY.G 


sp lOSANELEy, 


AIEUNIVERS 
ae 


ORNYENIS 
ss lOSANGELES 
g§ : 
nla 

USuaAINnAS 


QslOS ANGELES 


AQEUBRAI 
AaOaNY: 


‘onanysors 
ANE: ee 


@ & 


~ 
4, 


NELIBRARYOs, 
WVAOLTV-40 


Zon sows 
QAELIBRARYQC, 


Ch 


“H4 AOI TVI-AY 
AF: CALIFOR yy, 


De 
Zens: 


ES 


py 


f \ A s 
mm 
STONY-SOVSS 


4\\E-UNIVER 


Ss 


ZONAL” 


a 
Le 
oa 
rr 
coe 
= 
<< 
fad 
¥ 


SXELIBRARYO- 
Fost) O°" 


2 Ne 
“STONV-SOVS 
AMEUNIVERS ZZ; 

Sr 


\ 


wooed 


4XELIBRARY 
WYOLI)-40° 


STONY: a< 


AE LIBRARY 


S 


snOSANEtly 
ae 
s108/ NGELES 
(ws 


Wa04 Ty)-40" 


OF: oNe 


i 
INV-SO} 


So 
TUSHININA 
S LOS ANG 


(y 0 


ZUS8ANIN' 


3.0F CALI 


- 


QOF CALIFORY 


SNEUIBRA 


rill 
“9 Advil 


ant! 6S ANI 
feo 


in 
SS 
att 


Gen 


CAUF 


NE LIBR/ 


IN 5 


HY): or 
AUUFORYy, 


nt 


Mar 


es 


as 
ers 
ead 
etd 
Ss 


sale I, 
7 
OI NVI-A0 


EG 


=z 
w> 
S| 
% 


IVER, 


DF 


HAA TYI-40° 


=< 
w 
= 
45, 


= 
es] 
De 
oO 


ML ae 


pats 

“STHONY-SOLSS 
AHEUNIVERS/, 
Zone 


NEWS ; 


iy 


Wasi) 40 


Wy. 


it UNIVER 
Saicey 


“ONIWUAIT ina 


LOS ANGELES. 


& 


OF-CALIFORy 
rion BN 
Sa 
ere eS 
nO ate, 
Soles 


“\: 
s 
= 
= 
ui 
i) 


<USMININAAWS 
J slOSANGELES 


OF: CALIFORY, 
“OANA 


2SHaNINN INS 


SQEUBEART OS, 


wie 


4aQsNV)-40' 


eas 


sonavian as 


Z 
Ee 
= 
& 


OF-CALIFORy, 
YON HATISY 


oF 
= 


USHININNA 


2% 
3 
ES 
va 


“CALIFORy, 
Vag 


Mp 


\- 


A 
a 
Pe) 
= 
Ss 

D 


SACLE 
t 
HOS! 


ANEUNIVERS 7, 


Ss 


Be amin 
OF CALEORY, 
YONW AAA 


A, 


| aye 
HIOdTYI-IO 


rs) 
Z 
= 
4 


<QELIBRARY.O¢ 


hos I¥)-30 


s 
oe 
ponacej 
2 


— giteniver 
“OTONV-SOY 


ANE IVEY 


=) 


STONY-SOVSS 
<A es 


ANEUBRARYOS, 


ines V¥3-410 


st UBRARY.9 


G 


4AQ4ITY)-40 


No 


Sint, 
See 


a, iv)-40 


4 OF CALIFORy, 
te 


FG 
YON 


S 
fa 
pow) 
= 
a 
— 
xs 
toe 


MISEANIN Ts 


at LIBRARY, 


SWEUNIVERS 


$ 
= 
a 
= 
% 


cf 
S 
z 
& 


CUSY3NINN: ns 


OF CALIFORy, 
YOAV HETIS 
Sa 
ane 


USHIAINN IRS 


AQELIBRARYOs. 


Ein: 


ie 


sslOS-ANCEL 


HAO): 10 
OF-CAL FOR, 


ee 
JNY-SOINS 


aplOS AHL 
ae 


SNEUNIVERS/y, 
ane 


OAMVUAN AS 


 SHEUNIVERS 2 


\\ ‘ 


E-LIBRARY.Q- 
Wagalv)-40 


9M son 
“NE apes 


a >: 


- UBRARY'Os , 
Hagin: 10 


Snzonysors 


SAL LIBRARY, 


Nagai): 10. 
OF: CALIFORY, 


7ONVUGT a 


NE cI, 


at UBRARYOs, 
Waoany-40' 


~\ 


‘onaonysorn® 


Ai oe 


If 2 
dITWD-30 


~\. 


CUSHIN I 
ani A 


OF CAL FORY, 





SHANI 


ANE LIBR: 


les, 


QplOSANG 
(q 


a> 
<S 
ue 


wud 
we 


& 
ES 
= 


OF-CAL FORy, 


USNINN 


Se 
Ss 
= 


CALIFORy. 





yy 


BLACK TALES FOR 
WHITE CHILDREN 


These BLACK TALES for WHITE 
CHILDREN, being a collection of 
Swahili Stories, have been translated 
and arranged by Capt.C.H. STIGAND, 
interpreter in Swahili and author of 
““The Land of Zinj,’’ and Mrs, C. H. 
STIGAND, and have been illustrated 
by JOHN HARGRAVE, author of 
“LONECRAFT,” 


i ts a) kA 





a, & 
ma 


GMOs LN oy 


Ue 


BOSTON & NEW YORK: HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 


First published 1914 





FOREWORD 


Many hundreds of years ago Arab sailors 
began to explore the east coast of Africa, being 
driven southwards in their sailing vessels by the 
northerly winds or monsoons of one part of the 
year and returning to their homes by the help of 
the southerly winds of the other half of the year. 

As trade with the coast grew, Persians and 
Arabs founded settlements on the coast, and the 
numerous islands and towns and kingdoms grew 
up. These original settlers mixed with the 
black races of the interior, and it is from this 
mixture that the people now called Swahili 
have sprung. The word Swahili, or Sawaheli, 
comes from the Arabic word Sawahil, meaning 
coast, and hence the east coast of Africa. 

A language derived partly from Arabic and 
partly from several African Bantu tongues came 
into: being. This is called Kisawaheli, or the 
Swahili language, and different dialects of it are 
spoken practically the whole length of the East 
African coast and the islands close to it. 

Vv 


1667877 


FOREWORD 


The stories which follow are drawn from a 
number heard at different times and in different 
places, and they have been written down as nearly 
as possible as told by the Swahili himself. Some 
were told by story-tellers in the coast towns, 
others were overheard on the march in the 
interior or round the camp-fire at night. 

These stories have not been kept in any book 
or written document, but have been repeated 
from mouth to mouth, perhaps for hundreds of 
years. Either they are narrated by a professional 
story-teller of a coast town, who hands on his 
stock of them to his son after him, or they are 
told by mothers to their children almost from 
the time they can toddle. These children, when 
they grow up, tell them, in their turn, to their 
children, but the story is always told in the 
evening. 

During the day-time there is work to do and no 
good woman has time to waste in idleness. She 
must go out into the fields with her baby 
strapped on her back and hoe and weed the crops 
in the hot sun, she must grind the maize or millet 
into flour between two stones, winnow the grain, 
cook her husband’s dinner, draw the water, 

vil 


FOREWORD 


collect firewood, and perform many other 
duties. 

When the day’s work is done and the evening 
meal is finished they sit round the fire outside 
the hut, for they have no lamps or even electric 
light. Perhaps they sit in a little courtyard, 
surrounded by a high palisade, for fear of the 
lions, or perhaps,no lions having been heard of late, 
they sit in the cleared space in the centre of the 
village, each family by its little fire. Then the 
mother tell her stories to the children, who soon 
get to know them all by heart, yet never tire 
of hearing them again and again. “Tell us, 
mother, the story of Nunda, so that we may join 
in the chorus— 


““Siye mwanangu siye, siye Nunda mlawatu.” 
(It is not he, my child, not Nunda the eater of folk.) 


Or it may be on a journey after a long and 
tiring day’s march, the evening meal is cooked 
and eaten, and. then the tired porters lie round 
the camp-fire and call on one of their number 
to tell a story, “So that we may forget the toil 

- of the day.” 
As the Swahili is himself a mixture of the 
Vii 


FOREWORD 


Arab and the African, so his stories form a 
curious combination of the elements of both 


races. "Fhe—finer—and—mrore—witty—points—are. 
aan 2 ahaa nee ; ; 


> The 
jin or fairy, both good and bad, has been brought 
from Arabia with the Sultan and the idea of 
wealth and precious stones. 

The folk-lore, certain kinds of demons, and the 
jungle folk are entirely African. 

Such ‘stories as. “The Cat’s Tail,” “The 
Fools,” and “Shani and Tabak ” were told in the 
dialects of Shela, Pate and Lamu, in which places 
there is a greater proportion of Arab blood. 
“Kajikarangi,” “The Hunters and the Big 
Snake,” and “‘Segu” are types of tales told by 
more African natives in the dialect of Zanzibar 
and the Mgao and Mrima coasts. 

The Sultan is the king or chief. As the 
African coast kingdoms were often very small he 
was, as often as not, the chief of only one town 
or island, whilst in the next town another Sultan 
reigned. 

The Wazir, or Vizier of Turkey, is his prime 
minister or head man. 

Vill 














FOREWORD 


Where one Sultan reigned over several towns 
or islands he used to put into each a governor, 
called Wali or Liwali. 

The elephant, from his size, is to the native a 
creature inspiring awe, who eats and tramples 
down his crops and breaks his fences. 

The hyaena is harmless, and so only a subject 
for derision. 

Over the whole of Central Africa the hare is 
considered as the most cunning of all the animals. 
African slaves have even brought tales of his 
wiles to America, where, under the name of 
‘‘Brer Rabbit,” he has retained his African 
reputation for guile. 

I must acknowledge my indebtedness to my 
mother for arranging the rhymes which occur 
from time to time in the text. 


Cy 51 1GAND. 












CONTENTS 


FOREWORD ° . ° . ° ° V: 
THE LION OF MANDA ° ° . s I 


PEMBA MUHORI : : , 7 744° iu 








Ut THE CATS TAIL ~ . : z . 22 
IV THE YOUNG THIEF. ; : : es 
V THE TRAPPER, THE LION AND THE HARE 35 
VI NUNDA THE SLAYER . 2 ; sin. ed: 
VII THE WOODCUTTER AND HIS DONKEY ae 
VIII_ KITANGATANGA OF THE SEA . ; eS: 
IX THE LION’S TALISMAN . ; : e105 
X KIBARAKA , ‘ ; E ‘ - 66 
XI THE FOOLS . : ; ; : eR 8: 
XII THE HYAENA AND THE MOONBEAM be 
XIII THE SNAKE-CHILD , : ; . Pe 2. 
| XIV THE POOR MAN AND HIS WIFE OF WOOD 93 














XV BINTI ALI THE CLEVER . ° . . 97 





XVI 
XVII 
XVIII 
XIX 
xX 
xXxI 
XXII 
XXIII 
XXIV 
XXV 
XXVI 
XXVII 
XXVIII 


XXIX 


CONTENTS 


SEGU. , : : . ; ; 
LILA AND FILA ‘ ‘ : : : 
THE HUNTERS AND THE SNAKE ; : 
ALI OF THE CROOKED ARM . ; : 
FEEDING THE HUNGRY . , ; ; 
SHANI AND TABAK . ‘ : : : 
A MAN AND HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW . : 
THE JACKAL, THE HARE AND THE COCK , 
THE MAGIC DATE TREES. 7 ; ; 
PAKA THE CAT : : : ; ; 
THE OIL MERCHANT ; ; . ; 
BATA THE DUCK . ; ; : ‘ 
THE SULTAN’S DAUGHTER 


THE LION, THE HYAENA AND THE HARE 


Xil 


PAGE 


109 
III 
118 
122 
137 
140 
150 
153 
161 
172 
178 
190 
196 
198 








ee 
TF PYAADA 


ONcE upon a time there was a lion 
who lived on the island called Manda, 
which is opposite Shela town, and the 
people of Shela heard it roaring nightly. 
In Shela was a rich merchant, and one 
day he gave out in the bazaar: “I will 
pay one hundred dollars to whosoever 
will go and sleep alone one night on 
the opposite shore, in Manda island.” 
But for fear of the lion no man would 
do this. 

Now in that same town was a youth 
and his wife who were very poor, for 
they had nothing. When this youth 
heard the talk of the town, he came to 
his wife and said, ‘“ There is a man who 
will give a hundred dollars to any one 
who will sleep on the opposite side one 
night. I will go and sleep there.’ 


B 





BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


His wife said to him, “Do not go, my 
husband, the lion will eat you.” 

He said, “ Let me go, for if Allah loves me 
I will not die, and by this means we will get 
the wherewithal to buy some food.” 

Then she said to him, ““Go. May Allah pre- 
serve you.” 

So that youth, when evening fell, took a 
canoe and paddled over to Manda, and there lay 
down on the shore. 

Now, when the youth had gone, his wife there 
behind him was sad because she had let him go, 
and her heart was very heavy with fear for her 
husband. So she took some embers and some 
sticks of wood and went down on to Shela 
beach, and there she kindled a little fire and 
tended it all night, so that her young man on 
the opposite side might see it and not be 
afraid. 

In the morning he returned safely to Shela 
and went to claim his hundred dollars. But the 
merchant said, ‘“‘ You have not earned them, for 
you saw the fire that your wife made, and so 
you were not afraid.” 

The youth, when he heard those words, was 


2 


THE LION OF MANDA 


very angry, and went to accuse the merchant 
before the Sultan. 

So the Sultan called that merchant and 
asked him why he had not paid the youth 
his hundred dollars. 

The merchant said, “ Truly, I did not 
pay him the dollars because he did not 
earn them, for he had a fire to comfort 
him the whole night long. Now, Sultan, 
see if my words are not true and judge 
between us.” 

The Sultan then asked the youth, “ Did 
you have a fire?”’ The youth replied that 
his wife had made a fire, so the Sultan, 
who wished to favour the rich merchant, 
said, “Then you did not earn the money.” 

As that youth went forth from the 
presence of the Sultan, he jostled against 
a sage, who asked him his news; so he 
told him how he had been defrauded of 
his hundred dollars. 

‘Then® said. thessape, <“1t I pee your 
money for you, what will you give me?” The 
youth said, “I will give you a third.” So they 


agreed together after that manner. 


3 





fife, 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


The youth then went his way, and the sage 

came to the Sultan and said to him, ‘I invite 
ou to food at noon to-morrow in my planta- 

tion.” The Sultan replied, ‘Thank you, I will 
come.” 

Then the sage returned to his house and made 
ready. He slaughtered an ox and prepared the 
meat in pots, but did not cook it. When the 
Sultan arrived next day at noon, the sage had the 
pots of meat placed in one place apart, and he 
had fires made in other places, far away from 
where he had put the pots. Then, having told 
his servants what to do, he came and sat on the 
verandah with the Sultan, and they conversed 
with one another. 

After a while he arose and shouted to his 
~ servants, ‘Oh, Bakari and Sadi, stoke well the 
fires and turn over the meat.” 

When twelve o'clock had long passed the 
Sultan, feeling hungry, asked the sage, “Is not 
the food yet ready ?” 

The sage answered, “‘The meat is not yet 
done.” So they continued to converse, till the 
Sultan became very cross owing to his hunger, 
and said, “‘Surely the food must be ready now.” 


4 


THE LION OF MANDA 


So the sage called out, ““Oh, Bakari, and oh, Sadi, 
is not the food ready ?” 

They answered him, “‘ Not yet, master.” He 
then said, “ Stoke up the fires well and turn the 
meat, that we may soon get our food;” and 
they answered him, ‘“ We hear and obey, 
master.” 

The Sultan then said, “Surely the meat must 
be cooked now, after all this time.” So he arose 
to look for himself, and behold! he saw the fires 
all on one side of the courtyard, with servants 
busily feeding them, and the cooking pots all on 
the other side, also with servants tending them. 

He turned to the sage and said, ““ How is the 
meat to become cooked, and the pots are in one 
place and the fires in another?” The sage 
replied, “‘ They will cook like that, my master.” 

Then was the Sultan very wroth and said, “ It 
is impossible to cook food like that.” 

“<Indeed no,” gravely answered the sage; “ for 
is not the case the same between those cooking 
pots and their fires and the youth to whom you 
yesterday refused his hundred dollars and his 
fire, which was on the opposite shore ?” 

The Sultan then said, “‘ Your words are true, 














ee4- 


Tet. Fire - DRL 





tcimiant sicKs 


ya 


THE FRE. 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


oh sage! The youth did earn his hundred 
dollars. Send and tell the merchant to pay him 
at once.” 

So the youth got his dollars for sleeping on 
the island of Manda, and the sage did not accept 
from him the fee he had asked for. This is the 
story of the lion of Manda. 






MySay” oie 
ccd 


a: 
4, hu “= 


IL 
PEMBA MUHORI 


THERE was once upon a time a man and his 
wife, and the wife gave birth to seven sons, and 
the seventh was called Hapendeki, and he was 
the last. 

And these sons grew and grew till one day the 
youngest, Hapendeki, said to his father and 
mother, ‘“‘ What goal is there in life fora man?” 
and they answered, “‘ The goal in life for a man 
is to find a nice woman and marry her and rest 
ibzpeaces 

So he said, “‘ If that indeed be the aim of man 
you must look for a wife for me.” 

And they said to him, “‘ You are too young, 
you will not be able to manage a wife.” 

And he said, ‘“ Never mind, look for a wife 
for me.” | 

And they said, “ No, you are not old enough 
yet, 


fs 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN . 


So he answered them, “ Allright, if you won’t 
get me a wife I will look for one for myself.” 

So he went and searched till he found a wife, 
and then there were shouts and trills as he 
brought her home and married her. 

So they stayed indoors the appointed time of 
the honeymoon, and when it was nearly accom- 
plished his wife said to Hapendeki, ‘“‘ Now that 
the honeymoon is nearly over I want some 
nice clothes to show myself in when the 
honeymoon is completed and I go out once 
more. | 

So the husband went out and sought all the 
Indians’ and Banyans’ shops, and bought all the 
best clothes he could in the town, and brought 
home one man’s load of different kinds of clothes. 
And he said to her, ‘“‘ Here, my wife, look at the 
clothes I have brought you.” 

So she opened the parcel and looked at the 
things and said, “Do you call these clothes, my 
husband? Do you think that I could go out in 
such things, my husband ?” 

So the husband took ship and went to Maskat, 
and there he bought all the most beautiful clothes 
he could find, and dresses of silk and all kinds 


8 


PEMBA MUHORI 


of garments, two bales full, and with 
these he returned home. 

So he took ship with his two bales of 
clothes and arrived home again, and had 
them carried up to his house. 

When he came into the house his wife 
cooked food for him, and he sat down and 
ate, and when he had finished he said to 
his wife, ‘‘ Now open those two bales and 
see the clothes I have brought you.” So 
she opened the bales and looked at the 
clothes and said, “Do you call these 
clothes? you must be a fool to have 
bought things like these. Are these 
things fit for your wife to wear? Do 
you wish me to wear grass and bark cloth ? 
Do you imagine that I could wear things 
like these ? ” : 

So he said, “‘ My wife, these are the 
best that I could find, now say, what sort 
of clothes are those that you want?” 

So she said to him, ‘* My husband, the 
only clothes fit for me to wear are clothes 
made of the skin of Pemba Muhori, the 
great sea serpent.” 











BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


Next day he went to his father and mother 
and told them how he had bought every kind of 
expensive clothes for his wife, but that she re- 
fused to wear anything but the skin of Pemba 
Muhori. 

His father and mother said to him, “ Did 
not we tell you that you would not be able to 
manage a wife?” and his elder brothers said, 
“You, the youngest, must needs marry before 
us, your elder brothers, and this is what comes 
Ot 

So Hapendeki said to his mother, ‘I do not 
want words or advice, all I want you to do is 
to make seven loaves for me, and to make up a 
parcel for me containing these seven loaves and 
seven Cigarettes and seven matches.” 

So his mother baked seven loaves and made up 
the parcel, and next day he took his sword and 
the parcel and set out. He travelled and travel- 
led through plains and forests, plains and forests, 
for one month, till at the end of the month he 
came to a big lake. He sat down on the shore 
and ate one loaf and lit one cigarette and smoked 
it and thought, “ Pemba Muhori must be in this 
lake,” so he sang— 


IO 


PEMBA MUHORI 


“ Pemba Muhori, Pemba Muhori, are you in there ? 
My wife has sent for your skin to wear.” 


All was silent, so he picked up his load and 
journeyed on through desert and hills, desert and 
hills, till he came to a lake larger still, at the end 
of the second month, and he sat down and ate a 
loaf and smoked a cigarette and sang— 


“¢ Pemba Muhori, Pemba Muhori, are you in there ? 
My wife has sent for your skin to wear.” 


All was silent, so he travelled on and on till he 
came to a third and bigger lake, and now he had 
spent three months in the way. 

So he sat down on theshore and ate a loaf and 
smoked a cigarette and sang again, but all was 
silent, so he travelled on, and at the end of each 
month he came to a bigger lake, and he ate one 
loaf and smoked one cigarette. 

Till, at the end of the sixth month, he came 
to an enormous lake, bigger than any before, and 
its breadth was the distance of Tabora from the 
coast. 

And he said, ‘Pemba Muhori can hardly 
miss being in here,” so he ate a loaf and lit 


| 













and smoked a cigarette and then he 
sang— 


“ Pemba Muhori, Pemba Muhori, are you in there ? 
My wife has sent for your skin to wear.” 


But all was silent, so he picked up his 
load and went on and on, and now he had 
only one loaf and one cigarette and one 
match left. 

At the end of the seventh month he 
came to a lake as broad as from Ujiji to 
Zanzibar, and on its shores was white 
sand, white like bleached calico. 

So he sat down and thought, “ Now 
I have come to the last of my food. What 
am I to do if I miss Pemba Muhori here ?” 

So he ate his last loaf and tried to light 
his last cigarette, but the match went out, 
so he threw it into the lake saying, “What 
matter? Now I have nothing.” 


oS 


—— 
eee oo 











PEMBA MUHORI 
Then he sang— 


“ Pemba Muhori, Pemba Muhori, are you in there? 
My wife has sent for your skin to wear.” 


Then there was a noise like thunder, and great 
waves went foaming away to the shores, and 
Pemba Muhori appeared with his seven heads 
and said, “‘ Who is making use of my name? ” 

50. he: answered, “‘It is |, Hapendeli.” and 
took his sword and smote off one head, and pick- 
ing, it up. be put. 1t om one: side. “Then the 
snake came and said, ‘‘ Who are you that are 
not worth eating at a mouthful ?” 

Hapendeki took his sword and cut off another 
head and the snake disappeared in the water 
again, and he took the head and laid it on one 
side. 

And so the snake came at him again till he 
had cut off the third, fourth and fifth head and 
put them on one side. 

Then the snake said, “* What sort of witch- 
craft is this, that you who are so small think 
you can kill me?” and he rushed at him again, 
and Hapendeki cut off his sixth head and put it 


on one side. ‘Then the snake rose up and came 


‘3 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


at him, and Hapendeki cut off his seventh head 
and ran away. | 

Then the snake’s body writhed and twisted, 
and he lashed so with his tail that the mountains 
fell into the lake and the waves tore up the 
hillsides. 

When all was still again, Hapendeki returned 
and picked up the heads, which were a heavy 
load, and as he picked up the sixth he staggered, 
but he said to himself, ‘‘I must take them all 
home to show my wife.” So he made an effort 
and picked up the seventh head, and when he 
had them all, he suddenly looked round and 
behold, he found that his journey home was 
finished and that he was already in his 
house. 

His wife was astonished to see him and said, 
“My husband, how did you return?” and he 
answered, “‘ By the grace of God.” 

Then she cooked food for him and said, ** Now 
eat.” And he said to her, ‘‘ Last time I ate here 
you told me that I wasa fool for not getting you 
the clothes you wanted, now look first in the 
parcel I have brought and see if they are indeed 
the clothes you want before I eat.” 


14 


PEMBA MUHORI 


So his wife looked at the load and was aston- 
ished, and the neighbours came and looked and 
were astonished, for there were the seven heads 
of Pemba Muhori. 

Then that youth thought to himself, “ I must 
now teach my wife a lesson, as she has put me to 
a lot of trouble and worry ;” so he told her to 
prepare a large feast for the next day, and he 
invited all his friends to come. 

Next day his friends came and they all ate till 
they were full, and he then said to his wife, “« My 
wife, bring me water that I may drink.” 

His wife brought him water, and he looked at 
it and said to her, ‘“‘ Do you call this water, do you 
think that this is fit for your husband to drink ?” 

So she went away and brought him milk, and 
he said to her, “‘ What is this you have brought 
me? Am I a baby that you think that I can 
drink this?” 

So she went and brought him honey-wine, and 
he said to her, “‘ Am I a drunkard that when I 
ask for water you bring me wine?” 

So she said to him, “‘ My husband, what kind 
of water do you want? tell me, that I may get it 
for you.” 


a) 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


So he said, ‘“ That water you brought me 
smelt of frogs. I want water from a lake in 
which there are no frogs.” 

So she took a water jar, and putting it on 
her head went forth, and he, taking his sword 
and putting it over his shoulder, went after 
her, and followed at a distance to see what she 
would do. 

And she travelled on and on till she came to a 
big lake and said to herself, ‘‘ Perhaps this water 
will do.” So she sang— 


“*My husband has sent me out to draw 
Water no frog has touched with his claw.” 


And the frogs answered, “« K—r—r—r, K—r 
—r—r.” 

So she took her water jar and travelled on and 
on till she came to another big lake and sang 
again— 

“‘ My husband has sent me out to draw 
Water no frog has touched with his claw.” 


“ K—r—r—r, K—r—r—r,” 
So she travelled on and on, and her husband 
followed, watching from behind, and every lake 
16 


PEMBA MUHORI 


she came to and sang the frogs only answered, 
< K—1r—r—r, K—r—r—r.” 
At last she came toa great lake, and there she 
sang— 


“My husband has sent me out to draw 
Water no frog has touched with his claw.” 


All was silent, so she said, ‘‘ This must indeed 
be the water my husband wants.” So she filled 
her water jar, and, turning round to go home, 
she saw a huge demon coming forth saying, “I 
smell man, I smell man.” 

Her husband behind, who knew how to talk 
to demons, called out, 


“Demon bwe ! bwe! bwe ! 
Demon bwe! bwe! bwe! 
My wife run quickly past me, 
Demon bwe! bwe! bwe!” 


So his wife ran past him, and as the demon 
followed after her he cut off his tail, and at that 
moment he found himself in his house again and 
his wife found herself on the threshold. 

She tried to take the water jar from her head 
to pass in at the door, but she found that it had 


iz Cc 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


stuck there, and she was not able to move 
It. 

Then a neighbour came forward and tried to 
pull it off, but he could not, then came two men 
and then five and then twenty, but they could not 
get the water jar off. Then fifty tried, but failed, 
and at last five hundred men tried to pull it off, 
but it was of no avail. 

Then came out the husband and said, ‘“* My 
wife, put down that water jar,” and he slapped 
her in the face and at that moment the water jar 
fell off. 

His wife said to him, ‘“‘ What do you strike 
me for?” and her husband said, ‘“ My wife, do 
you not see that that was the medicine that 
broke the charm and released you from the 
water jar? Did you not see that five hundred 
men were unable to get it off, and that I, by 
Just slapping you, was able to get it off?” But 
the woman would not be satisfied, so went off to 
the Sultan and accused her husband before the 
Sultan of beating her. So the Sultan sent his 
soldiers to fetch Hapendeki, and when he was 
brought said to him, ‘“ How is this that you have 
beaten this woman your wife?” 


18 























BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


So Hapendeki told him the story from first to 
last, and the Sultan said to him, “‘ Have you the 
heads of Pemba Muhori ?” 

He answered and said, “ They are there in my 
house.” : | 

So the Sultan said, ‘“‘ Bring them here that I 
may know that your story is true.” 

So Hapendeki said, “I will bring them here 
at eight o'clock to-night, but I want you to turn 
out all the lights when I come and only turn 
them on when I tell you.” 

So at eight o’clock Hapendeki brought the 
seven heads, and all the lights were turned out, 
and he arranged them in front of the Sultan’s 
palace, which was seven storied, one head he 
put on the roof and one head on every 
storey. 

When the lights were turned on everybody 
fell back in fear and astonishment, for there, 
shining and glittering in the light, were the 
seven heads of Pemba Muhori. 

So the trumpets pealed and the cannons roared 
and there was great rejoicing, and the Sultan 
gave his daughter in marriage to Hapen- 


deki. 


20 


PEMBA MUHORI 


And this is the end of the story, and whether 
it is good or whether it is bad I do not know, 
but if it is good, its goodness belongs to all, and 
if it is bad, its badness belongs to him who tells 
it alone. 





21 


IIl 
THE CATS: EAL 


AT a place called Lamu lived a woman and 
her husband. One day, whilst they were at 
meat, a cat came in and looked at them. Now 
these two people loved to disagree with each 
other. 

So that woman said to the man, “I say that 
the tail of a cat is stuck in.” 

The man said to his wife, “No, it is not 
stuck in; it sprouts out.” 

So they wrangled together about this matter 
for many days. At last they disputed so noisily 
that their neighbours threatened to drive them 
out of the village. Then, as neither the husband 
nor the wife would give in, they decided to seek 
the wise man who lived at Shela, for sure he 
would know and could settle this great question. 

So they each took a dollar and tied it in the 
corner of their robes and set out for Shela, 
quarrelling so hard all the way that everybody 
turned round to stare at them. 


22 











ONG YOUR DN 
GJ 


G 


On 








The Wise man who lived at Shela. 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


At last they arrived at the town of Shela and 
found the wise man at his house. When he 
saw the big round dollars bulging out of their 
clothes he smiled upon them and invited them 
in. 

Then the woman asked him, “ Look up for 
us in your learned books whether a cat’s tail is 
stuck in or whether it sprouts out.” 

The man said, “No. Look up whether it 
does not sprout out or whether it is stuck in.” 

The wise man saw that they were fools, so he 
replied— 

“‘ Give me my fee : one dollar for the answer 
to the question as to whether the cat’s tail is 
stuck in or whether it sprouts out, and one dollar 
for the answer as to whether it sprouts out or is 
stuck <ins- 

So they each gave him a dollar, and the wise 
man made great pretence at looking through his 
books. Finally he said, “‘ You are both wrong ; 
the cat’s tail is neither stuck in nor does it sprout 
out, and it neither sprouts out nor is it stuck in, 
but it is just stuck on.” 

They then returned home in silence, and the 
wise man stuck to their dollars. 


24 


fies 





OncE upon a time there was a man and he 
wished to marry. So he went to the Seers and 
asked them to foretell his future. : 

The Seers looked at their books and said to 
him, “If you marry you will certainly have a 
child, a very beautiful boy, but with one blemish ; 
he will bea thief, the biggest thief that ever was.” 

So that man said, ‘ Never mind, even if he 
be a thief; I should like to have a son.” 


25 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


So he married, and in due time a child was 
born, a beautiful boy. 

The child was carefully brought up till he 
was old enough to have a teacher. Then the 
father engaged a professor to come and teach 
him every day. He built a house a little distance 
from the town and put him in it, and that 
professor came every morning and taught him 
during the day, and in the evening returned home. 
Now the father ordered the professor never to 
let his son see any other soul but himself, and he 
thought by that means that his son would escape 
the fate that had been decreed by the Seers; for 
if he never saw any other person he could have 
no one to teach him to steal. 

One day the professor came, and he told the 
lad about a horse of the Sultan’s, which used to 
go out to exercise by itself and return by itself, 
and was of great strength and speed. 

Then that youth asked where was the Sultan’s 
palace, and his professor took him up on to the 
flat roof and pointed out to him the palace and 
its neighbourhood. 

That night, after the professor left, the 
youth slipped out and came to the Sultan’s 

520 


PHE YOUNG VHIEY 


stables, stole the horse, and returned home 
with it. 

Next day the professor was a little late in 
coming, so the lad asked him, “Sheikh, why 
have you delayed to-day ?” The professor said, 
‘““I stayed to hear the news. Behold, some one 
has stolen the Sultan’s horse which I told you 
about yesterday.” 

Then that lad asked, ‘“‘ What does the Sultan 
propose to do?” 

The old man replied, “ He thought of sending 
out his soldiers, but then he heard of a seer who 
is able to detect a thief by looking at his books, 
so he is going to ask him first.” 

So the youth asked, ‘“ Where does that seer 
live?” 

The professor then pointed out the seer’s 
house and its neighbourhood. 

That night the youth slipped out and came to 
the seer’s house and found that the seer was out. 
He saw his wife and said to her— 

““ My mistress, the seer has sent me to fetch 
his box of books.” 

So the wife brought out the box containing 
all his books of magic and gave them to him, 


7 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


and he took them and returned with them to 
his house. 

Next day his professor was late, and when he 
came he said to him, “ Father, why have you 
delayed?” 

The old man said, “I stopped to hear the 
news. Do you remember the seer of whom I 
told you yesterday, who was to find out the thief 
for the Sultan? Well, he has now been robbed 
of his books of magic.” 

The youth asked, “What does the Sultan 
intend to do?” 

The old man replied, “‘ He was about to send 
out his soldiers, and then he heard that there 
was a magician who is able to detect a thief by 
casting charms, so he is going to consult him.” 

Then the youth asked, “Where does the 
magician live?” 

So the old man took him on the roof and 
pointed out the magician’s house and its neigh- 
bourhood. 

That night, after the professor had gone, the 
youth went out and came to the house of the 
magician. He found him out, but saw his wife 
and said to her, ‘“‘ Mother, I fear to ask you, for 

. 28 


THE YOUNG “THIEF 


was not the seer robbed in like manner yester- 
day ? but the magician has sent me to fetch his 
bag of charms.” 

That woman said, ‘‘ Have no fear ; the thief’s 
not you, my child ;” and she gave him the bag of 
charms, and he took them and went to his house. 

Next day, when the professor came, he asked 
for the news, and he said, “ Did I not tell you 
yesterday that the Sultan was going to get a 
magician to tell him the thief by casting his 
charms? Well, last night the magician had his 
bag of charms stolen.” 

Then the youth asked, ‘“‘ What is the Sultan 
going to do?” 

The old man answered, “‘ He was going to 
send out his soldiers to catch the thief, but he 
heard that a certain woman said she knew who 
the thief was, and so he is going to pay her to 
tell him.” ) 

The youth asked where the woman lived, and 
the old man pointed out her house to him. 

That evening the youth went out, and came 
to the house of that woman and found her out- 
side, and he said to her, “« Mother, I am thirsty ; 
give mea drink of water.” 


a7 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


So she went to the well to draw some water, 
and the youth came behind her and pushed her 
in. Then he went into the house and took her 
clothes and jewellery and brought them back to 
his house. 

Next day, when the professor came, he asked 
the news, and he said, “ My son, I told you yes- 
terday that there was a woman who said that 
she could tell the Sultan the name of the thief. 
Well, last night the thief came and pushed her 
into the well and stole her things.” 

Then that youth asked, “What does the 
Sultan propose to do?” 

The old man replied, “He is sending his 
soldiers out to look for the thief.” 

That night, after the professor had gone, the 
youth dressed up as a soldier, and went out and 
met the soldiers of the Sultan looking for the 
thief. 

He said to them, “ That is not the way to 
look for a thief. The way to look for a thief 
is to sit down very quietly in a place, and 
then perhaps you will see or hear him.” 

So he brought them all to one place and 
made them sit down, and one by one they all 


30 


THE YOUNG ‘THIEF 


fell asleep. When they were all asleep he took 
their weapons and all their clothes he could carry 
and came with them to his house. 

Next day, when the professor came, he asked 
him the news, and he said, “Last night the 
Sultan sent his soldiers out to look for the thief 
and behold, the thief stole their arms and their 
clothes, so that they returned naked.” 

Then the youth asked, “ And now, what does 
the Sultan propose to do?” 

The old man said, ‘ To-night the Sultan goes 
himself to look for the thief.” 

The youth said, ‘ That is good, for the wisdom 
of Sultans is great.” 

That night the youth dressed up as a woman 
and scented himself and went out. He saw in 
the distance a lamp, and knew that it was the 
Sultan looking for the thief, so he passed near. 
When the Sultan smelt those goodly scents he 
turned round to see whence they came, and he 
saw a very beautiful woman. 

He asked, “ Who are you?” 

The lad replied, “I was just returning home 
when I saw your light, so I stepped aside to 
let you pass.” 


31 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


The Sultan said, “You must come and talk 
with me a little.” 

That lad said, “« No, I must go home.” 

They were just. outside the prison, so at last 
the youth consented to go in and talk for a 
little while with the Sultan. 

When they got inside the courtyard, the 
youth took a pair of leg-irons and asked the 
Sultan, ‘““What are these?” 

The Sultan replied, “‘ Those are the leg-irons 
with which we fasten our prisoners.” 

Then that youth said, “Oh, fasten them on 
me, that I may see how they work.” 

The Sultan said, “ No, you are a woman, but 
I will put them on to show you,” and he put 
them on. 

The youth looked up and saw a gang-chain 
and asked, “* What is that?” 

The Sultan said, “‘ That is what we put round 
their necks, and the end is fastened to the wall.” 

So the youth said, “Oh, put it on my neck, 
that I may see what it is like.” 

The Sultan replied, “No, you are a woman, 
but I will put it on my neck to show you;” so 
he put it on. 


32 


THE YOUNG THIEF 


Then the youth took the key of the leg-irons 
and of the gang-chain, and looked up and saw 
a whip and said, ‘“‘ What is that ?” 

“That,” said the Sultan, “is a whip with 
which we whip our prisoners if they are bad.” 

So the youth picked up the whip and began 
beating the Sultan. After the first few strokes 
the Sultan said, “Stop, that is enough fun- 
making.” 

But the youth went on and beat him soundly, 
and then went out, leaving the Sultan in chains 
and chained to the wall, and he also locked the 
door of the prison and took the key and went 
home. Next day the Sultan was found to be 
in the prison, and they could not get in to let 
him out or free him. 

So a crier was sent round the town to cry, 
“Any one who can deliver the Sultan from 
prison will be given a free pardon for any 
offence he has committed.” 

So, when the cries came to that youth’s house, 
he said, “Oho, I want that as a certificate in 
writing before I will say what I know.” 

When these words were brought to the 
Wazir, he had a document drawn up, giving 


33 a 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


a free pardon to any one who would deliver 
the Sultan. Then he brought it round to the 
prison for the Sultan’s signature, and as the 
could not get it in they pushed it through the 
- window on the end of a long pole. Then the 
Sultan signed it, and it was given to that youth, 
who handed over the key of the prison and of 
the chains and fetters. After the Sultan had 
been released he called that youth to his palace, 
and the youth took the horse, and the sage’s 
books of magic, and the magician’s bag of 
charms, and the woman’s clothes and jewellery, 
and the soldiers’ arms and clothes, and came to 
the palace. 

When the Sultan heard his story he said that 
he was indeed a very clever youth, so he made 
him his Wazir. 

This is the story of the man who would have 
a child, even though he should be a thief. 


ae 






OncE upon a time there was a man, and his 
work was to set traps. Every morning he went 
out and set his traps for game, and in the evening 
he returned to his house, for he was a poor man, 
and there was no money in the house, and so this 
was, indeed, his manner of living. 

One day he went forth, and when he came to 
his traps he met a lion. 

And the lion said to him, “Have you not 
heard that this forest belon gs to me, and that there 
is no leave to hunt here? for I am the only person 
who hunts here, and now, youson of Adam, you 


55 





. 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


have come to hunt in my forest. Do you not 
know that I have the strength of forty men?” 

And the man answered him, ‘“ Oh, master, I 
had not the news that this was your forest, so 
now make what plan you like, for I can do 
nothing.” 

Then the lion said to him, “ We will make 
this arrangement together. You may hunt 
game here, but of every animal you catch you 
must give me the heart, the liver and the entrails, 
but the meat you may take yourself.” 

So they made this arrangement together, and 
every day the man set his traps, and of the game 
he caught he gave the lion the heart, liver 
and entrails, but the meat he took home, and 
his wife was glad. 

Till one day his wife said to him, “ How is 
it that of all the game you bring here, you bring 
the meat only, but the entrails you leave there in 
the bush ? Now I am feeling sick, and the liver 
of game is what I long for.” 

The man said, “ Do you not know that the 
entrails of all the game belong to the lion, who 
is, indeed, the master of the forest ? ” 

And his wife said to him, “I know very well 


36 








we (Peni 
av 














“See, that stone is falling, it will kill us both.” 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


that you give the heart and the liver to another 
woman every day, and if it indeed be the lion who 
takes them, I will follow you to-morrow and see.” 

So the man said, “*‘ My wife, you must not 
come with me to the forest, for in the forest are 
fierce animals and thorns and difficulties and 
dangers.” 

So they slept, and in the morning the man 
went off to his work, and when he had gone his 
wife followed him in the way and came to the 
first and the second trap, but she entered into the 
third trap and was caught. 

When the man returned from the woods he 
did not find his wife, and he looked for her till 
one of the neighbours said, “I saw your wife 
follow you in the way this morning.” 

And the man thought to himself, “My wife 
must surely have followed me to see where the 
entrails of the game went to.” 

So he took the way and came to the first and 
the second trap, but at the third he saw his wife 
caught, and beside her sat the lion. 

And the lion said, “ See what a nice animal 
you have caught to-day ; be quick and cut it up 
that I may get my share.” 


38 


THE TRAPPER, LION, AND HARE 


The man said, “ I cannot cut her up, for she 
is my wife.” 

The lion said, “‘ Was not our agreement that 
I should have the entrails of every animal you 
caught ? Now give me my share or I will kill 

ou. 

/ At that moment there came forth a hare, and 
when he had heard the case he said to the lion, 
‘“‘’This man speaks not truly when he says that 
this animal is his wife, he only wishes to get all 
the meat for himself. Now my plan is that you 
and the man follow me, and I will show you that 
this is not his wife.” 

So the man and the lion followed the hare, 
and the hare and the man passed the second trap, 
but the lion entered in, and was caught up by the 
noose in the air. 

Then the hare said to the man, ‘‘ Now take 
your wife quickly and run away, for if he gets 
out he will kill us both.” 

So the man took his wife and ran away 
quickly. 7 

Now the lion stayed in the trap, but after 
some time the rope rotted and he got out, 
but he was weak and maimed and thin. After 


39 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


several days he caught a pala, and then he caught 
a zebra, and then he grew strong again. 

Then he said, “‘ Now I will go and kill that 
hare who took me in.” So he went to the house 
of the hare, which was under a big rock, and 
seized the hare. 

Now over the rock was a great boulder poised, 
and the hare said to the lion, “‘ See, that stone is 
falling, it will kill us both.” The lion looked 
up and saw the boulder and leaped from under 
it, but when he found that it did not fall he 
looked for the hare, but the hare had gone. 

Then he sought for the hare many days, and at 
last he found where he lived in a cave, so he 
went in and sat there to wait for him till he 
returned. 

And as the hare returned he saw the footprints 
of the lion on the path leading to his house, so 
he went and stood near the house and said, 
‘* Salaam, oh house.” But the lion was not to be 
deceived, and he answered not. 

Then the hare said again, ‘Salaam, house,” 
and again the lion was silent. 

So the hare said to himself, “ Every day when 
I pass here and say, ‘Salaam, oh house,’ the 


40 


THE: TRAPPER; LION, AND HARE 


house answers and says, ‘ And to you salaams,’ but 
to-day it is silent; perhaps there is some one 
inside.” 

So the lion answered from inside, “ And to you 
salaams.” And the hare said, “ Oh, lion, I hear 
your voice you have come here to kill me.” 

Then the hare ran off, and the lion came out 
and went his way. Some time afterwards the 
hare met the lion in the way, and seeing that he 
could not escape he said, “ I am tired of running 
away from you, old lion, so now I will come 
with you and be your servant.” 

The lion agreed, and the hare followed the 
lion. . 

Shortly afterwards the lion killed a zebra, and 
he said to the hare, ‘‘ Now, my servant, cook the 
fat, that I may eat.” 

So the hare collected firewood and made a fire, 
and putting a little fat in the fire, said, “‘ Open 
your mouth, old lion, and taste.” 

And the lion tasted the fat and saw that it was 
sweet and good, and said, “‘ Hurry up and cook 
the rest, that I may eat.” 

The hare ran off and fetched a stone and put 
it in the fire till it was red hot and then, taking 


4! 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


hold of it with two sticks, said, “Open your 
mouth, old lion.” 

The lion opened his mouth and the hare 
popped the stone in; the lion gulped it down 
and it burnt his inside and killed him. 

- The hare then skinned the lion, and taking the 
skin he went his way till he came to a cave 
where thirty hyaenas were holding a dance. 

The hare took the lion’s skin and propped it 
up against the entrance to the cave, and tied it 
with string to one of the hyaena’s tail. 

When the hyaenas smelt the smell of a lion 
they looked round and saw a lion crouching at 
the entrance. 

They took counsel together and said, ‘“‘ It were 
better that we remain inside here, for if we go 
out we will certainly be killed, and after a little 
time he will go away.” 

They waited the first and the second day, but 
when the third day came and the lion did not 
go away they took counsel together again, 
saying, “‘ We will all die of hunger here. It were 
better that we eat one of our number that the 
rest may live.” 

So they ate one of their number, and the next 
day they did likewise, and so on every day, till at 


42 


THE TRAPPER, LION; AND BARE 


last there was only one left alive, and this was the 
one with the skin tied to his tail. 

And he thought to himself, “If I stay here I 
shall die of hunger. It would be better if I tried 
to rush past the lion and get away.” 

So he rushed out of the cave across the plain, 
and the skin followed him, till at last the rope 
broke, and he looked Found and saw the hare 
coming to pick up the skin. 

Then was the hyaena very angry, and rushed 
after the hare and caught him. 

The hare said, “I am but a small mouthful. 
_ If you leave me, I will show you where a whole 

rhino has just died.” 

So the hyaena let go and said to him, “I will 
follow you and see ; but if you have deceived me 
I will kill you.” 

So the hare led him down to the stream and 
said, “‘ He fell in here this morning. If you put 
your nose in the water you will smell him.” 

So the hyaena put his nose in the water to 
smell if the rhino was there, and he was seized 
by the crocodiles and dragged into the river and 
eaten. 

This is the end of the story of the hunter and 
the lion and the hare, which ends here. 


to 


VI 


NUNDA THE SLAYER AND THE 
ORIGIN OF THE ONE-EYED 


OncE upon a time there was a Sultan, and he 
had seven sons, and he gave them ships, and they 
all went abroad to trade, and came back with 
much wealth, all except the youngest, who 
brought back only a dog and a cat, and he kept 
the dog and the cat till they grew and grew, and 
at last the dog died. 

Then he kept the cat, and it grew and grew, 
till at last one day it ate a whole goat. 

And it still grew, till one day the son said to 
the Sultan, “‘ My father, give me an ox for my 
cat to eat,” and he gave him an ox, and the cat 
grew and grew, till at last he finished all the 
camels and oxen of the Sultan. 

So the Sultan said to his son, “* You must turn 
that cat out of the town, as it has eaten all our 
wealth.” 








HE 0% 
KEPT THE e ° 
CAT & 

IT GREW & 

GREW" 


oe 


NUNDA THE SLAYER 


So that cat was turned out and went to live in 
the bush, and there it grew and grew, and it was 
called Nunda. 

Till one day it came into the town and ate 
everybody in that town, all the people and the 
Sultan himself and all his sons; but the Sultan’s 
wife was upstairs, and she shut the door and was 
saved, but everybody else in the town was 
eaten. 

And when the Nunda thought that he had 
finished everybody he went again into the bush 
and there he lived. 

And the Sultan’s wife stayed in the upper 
storey, and there she gave birth to a son, and she 
called him Mohammed. 

And Mohammed grew up, till one day he 
said to his mother, ‘‘ How is it that we two sit 
alone and there are no other people here ?” 

And his mother said to him, ‘Go and open 
the window and look out.” And he opened the 
window and looked out. 

And she said to him, “ What do you see?” 
And he said, “ I see many houses.” 

Then she said to him, “ All those houses were 
once full of people, but the Nunda has killed 


45 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


and eaten them all, even your father and brothers 
he has eaten.” 

So Mohammed said, “Did my father have 
any weapons?” And his mother said, “ He 
used to go to war, and guns and spears and 
bows and arrows and shields were the weapons 
he had.” 

Mohammed said to her, “‘ Bows and arrows 
are the weapons I want.” 

So he took a bow and three hundred arrows 
and set forth, and travelled through the bush, 
on and on, till one day he met a rhino. 

He said to himself, ‘“‘ This must be the Nunda,” 
so he shot his arrows and shot and shot till he 
had used all his three hundred arrows and the 
rhino fell dead. 

Then he cut off a leg and set out for home, 
carrying it with him. When he got near the 
house he sung, “ This is Nunda, this is Nunda 
who kills people.” 

And his mother, looking out from the upper 
storey, sang, “‘ My child, that is not Nunda who 
kills people.” 

When he came into the house she said, “ My 
son, that is not Nunda; it is a rhino.” 


46 


NUNDA THE SLAYER 
So he said, “‘I will sleep here to-night, and 


to-morrow I will set out again.” 

In the morning he took seven bows and one 
thousand arrows and set out, and travelled and 
travelled, through forests and plains, till he came 
to a garden, and there he sat down. 

Presently a great dust arose in the hills and 
came down into the plains. 

So Mohammed climbed a tree and waited, 
saying, ‘“‘ This indeed must be Nunda.” 

Presently a great animal came out of the dust 
and came down to the garden to drink, and he 
drank from three o’clock in the afternoon to six 
o'clock in the evening. 

And Mohammed, up in the tree, said to him- 
self, “If I am to die I am already aed: and if I 
am to escape I have already escaped ;” so he 
started shooting his arrows, and when he had 
shot five hundred the animal looked up from 
drinking, but he did not yet know that he was hit. 

So Mohammed took his other five hundred 
arrows and shot and shot till he had used them 
all, and then he threw away his bow. 

Then the animal arose and went to the tree 
where Mohammed sat, and jumped and bounded 


+7 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


in his pain, but he did not reach him, and in 
the morning when Mohammed looked down 
he saw that the animal was dead. Then he 
descended and cut off a leg, and taking it started 
for home. 

When he got near home he sang, “ This is 
Nunda, this is Nunda who kills people.” 

And his mother looked out from the upper 
storey and sang, ‘“‘ My child, that is he, Nunda 
who eats people.” 

And she came down to meet him and said, 
“Hang the leg up in the verandah, and I will 
go and get you water to wash with.” 

So he hung up the leg and went inside to 
wash himself. 

And the leg said, “« By Allah, I feel cold here.” 
And his mother called out, “Mohammed.” 
Voy essmother:. 2 Vy ny isithedeo talking there 
in the verandah ?” 

So Mohammed came out from the bath-room 
and took the leg and hung it up at the top of 
the house, and went back to wash. 

Presently ithe: leo -said. “lhear some. one 
washing there.” And his mother called out, 
“That leg is still talking upstairs.” 


48 


NUNDA THE SLAYER 


And Mohammed came out again and said, 
‘“Give me my knife ; I will cut it open and see 
what is inside.” 

So he took his knife and cut open the leg, and 
there he found his father and brothers and all 
the people of that town inside the leg ; but in 
cutting it open he stabbed one man in the face 
and put out his eye. 

And this man, when he came out from the 
leg, was very angry indeed and said, “* Why have 
you put out my eye? See, you have let all the 
other people out quite whole; but me, you have 
put out my eye.” 

And Mohammed said, “I am very sorry. I 
did not know what was in the leg, and my knife 
slipped in cutting it open, so now be content 
that you have escaped and forgive me.” 

But the man said, “I will not forgive you. 
You have put out my eye and now you must let 
me put out your eye.” 

Mohammed said, “I do not agree.” 

The man said, “If you don’t agree to my 
putting out your eye we must fight.” 

Mohammed said, “I don’t want many words, 
so now listen to what I have got to say. Let 


49 . 


BLACKTALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


one of us take a rifle and five cartridges and the 
other stones, and let us go down to the shore 
and fight. So now choose which you will take.” 

So One-eye chose to take the rifle and five 
rounds, and Mohammed took a cloth and filled 
it with stones, and they went down to the shore. 

And Mohammed said, ‘‘ Now, One-eye, you 
have the rifle, you begin.” 

So One-eye fired the first round and missed, 
and the second and missed, and so on all five 
rounds. 

Then Mohammed came near with his bag of 
stones, and hit him here and there and all over, 
and came closer and stoned him, and hit him in 
the other eye, putting that out, till he went 
down on his knees and said, “I repent; I am 
satisfied.” 

And this is the beginning of all one-eyed and 
blind men in the world, and this is how they 
began. 


50 


Bin aa 
WSIS CO re 





VII 


ONcE upon a time there was a poor wood- 
cutter, and his work was to go out every day 
into the forest and cut wood. In the evening 
he used to load up his donkey with the wood he 
had cut and return to the town, where he sold 
it. The money he got each day was only 
sufficient for the food of himself and his wife 
for that day. 

They lived like that many months and many 


SI 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


days, and they were very, very poor ; till one 
day the woodcutter went out to the forest as 
usual to cut wood. As he was at work he looked 
up and saw a number of birds sitting on the 
top of a tree, with their beaks wide open. And 
there was a cloud of insects about the tree, and 
they fell into the birds’ mouths. 

Then the woodcutter said to himself, “* Behold 
these birds, they sit on the top of a tree with 
their mouths open, and God feeds them by 
bringing insects to fall into their mouths. They 
do not have to work or even to move from their 
perch ; they just open their mouths and are fed. 
Why should I have to work hard all day and 
then only get just enough to eat?) Why should 
not God feed me like that ?” 

So he loaded up his donkey with the wood 
he had already cut and returned to the town. 
When he reached his house he went in and got 
into bed. 

His wife went out and sold the wood, and 
then bought some food and returned home. 
When she found her husband in bed she said, 
“My husband, are you ill?” 

Fe ‘replied, “No, my wife, I am waiting for 


$2 


WOODCUTTER AND HIS DONKEY 


God to feed me as I saw Him feed the birds 
to-day.” | 

So she cooked the food and then called to 
him, “ The food is ready, my husband.” 

He replied, “‘ No. To-day I saw that God fed 
the birds without them having to move. They 
just opened their mouths and the food dropped 
in, so now I am not going to move out of bed, 
but am just going to wait here in bed to be fed 
also. 

So his wife brought his food in to him there 
in bed and he ate and slept. Next morning his 
wife said to him, ‘“ Arise, my husband, for it is 
time that you went to work.”’ 

He replied, “No, I am not going to work ; 
I am just going to stop here in bed and wait to 
be fed.” 

His wife said, ‘But, my husband, we have 
no food and no money in the house. What are 
we to do if you do not go and work ?” 

He answered, “‘ Never mind. God is able to 
feed the birds when they are hungry, and so He 
is able to feed me.”’ 

So he stopped there in bed. Now a neigh- 
-bour of his had a vision that night that in a 


ye! 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


certain cave was a great treasure stored. He 
wanted to go and search for it, and when he 
heard that the woodcutter was not going to work 
that day he thought that he would borrow his 
donkey to bring back the wealth, if his vision 
came true. 

So he came to borrow the donkey ; but as he 
was a very mean man he did not want to tell of 
his vision or for what purpose he wanted the 
donkey. He knocked at the door, and the wife 
came and opened it, and he asked to see the 
woodcutter. 

The wife went to call her husband, but he 
said, “Tell him to come in here; I will not 
get up.” 

So the neighbour came in and asked the 
woodcutter to lend him his donkey, and said, 
“If I have a prosperous journey I will give you 
a few coppers.” 

The woodcutter agreed, and he took the 
donkey and went to the place about which he 
had dreamed. There he found the cave, and 
when he entered he saw piles of money, gold, 
silver and copper. 


So he gathered up first all the gold and then 
54 


WOODCUTTER AND HIS DONKEY 


all the silver and filled the donkey’s saddle-bags, 
till at last they would hold no more. 

He was loth to leave the copper, so he left 
the donkey outside the cave and went back and 
began to stuff his clothes with the copper coins. 
Whilst he was doing this the mouth of the cave 
fell in, and he was unable to get out. 

The donkey waited and waited till at last, when 
evening was near, seeing no one coming, it set 
off and returned home, and came to the door of 
the house. ‘The wife heard a noise at the door 
and said, “‘ My husband, there is some one at the 
door; get up and open it to see who it is.” 

He replied, “ No, my wife, I am going to stop 
just here in bed till God brings me my food.” 

So the wife opened the door, and the donkey 
walked in to where the woodcutter was lying in 
bed. When he looked at it he saw that the 
saddle-bags were stuffed full of gold and silver. 

The man and his wife waited for the return 
of the neighbour, but when he did not come back 
they made plans together what they should do. 

The husband said to his wife, “ Behold, my 
wife, the neighbours all know that we are very 
poor and have no money in the house. Even if 


55 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


we were to take a little money and buy food 
to-morrow they will say that we have stolen it, 
so how are we to spend all this wealth? Even 
if we go away they will know that we have not 
the money to expend on a journey, so what shall 
we do?” 

So they planned together, and then they crept 
out, when everybody was asleep, and put a little 
money on the doorstep of each house near them. 
On one they put ten reals, on another five, and 
sO on. 

In the morning when every one opened their 
doors, behold, some silver coins on the doorstep. 
So the neighbours said to one another, “I got 
five reals; what did you get?” and soon. Another 
said, “Surely some Jin must have put all this 
money here in the night.” 

Then were the neighbours not surprised when 
they saw that the woodcutter and his wife had 
a little money wherewith to buy food. So the 
woodcutter said to his neighbours, “I found 
twenty reals on my doorstep this morning, and 
I and my wife are going to expend this money 
on travelling to a far country, where perhaps we 
will meet with better fortune than here.” 

















| 











WOODCUTTER AND HIS DONKEY 


So they bought the necessaries for a long 
journey with a little of that money, and then the 
greater part they packed up on the donkey and 
journeyed off. 

They travelled on and on, till at last they came 
to a country where they were not known, and 
there they bought a:house and settled down, and 
the people said, ‘‘ Behold, these must be some 
rich folk who have come from a far country.” 

So they lived there in great splendour, and 
spent their money and gave praise to God. 

This is the story of the woodcutter who had 
trust in God, and it finishes here. 


a7, 


Vill 
KITANGATANGA OF THE SEA 


THERE was once a man, and he lived at Kilwa. 
And that man married a wife, and built a hut, 


in which they stayed. 


oN Everything that 
ee Oe, woman asked for he 
Ve fire gave her, only that hut 


he had built without 
a door. 

He himself, when 
he went abroad and 
returned, used to climb 
up a ladder and get 
in at the window, and 
when he went away 
he took away the 
ladder. So that woman 
stayed in that hut 


and was not able to go out, not even for a little, 
and so she was sick of heart. 


58 








KITANGATANGA OF THE SEA 


Now when her mother heard about this she 
came and dug a hole under the wall, so that she 
was able to come and see her daughter whenever 
the husband had gone out. The mouth of that 
hole the woman covered over with matting, so 
that that man, her husband, did not get to see it. 

Now that man was a merchant, and used to 
trade up and down the coast even as far as 
Maskat. 

One day he came home to his wife and said 
to her, ‘“‘ My wife, it is time that I went up the 
coast trading, so in a week’s time | will start and 
will go to Zanzibar and Maskat, and then, after 
the space of one year, I will return again.” 

So his wife said to him, “It is well, my 
husband ; may you go and return in safety.” 

When her husband went away again she got 
out quickly by her tunnel and came to her mother 
and said, “ My mother, my husband is going to 
travel away for a year and leave me in my hut. 
Now you must go quickly and get a fast ship 
ready for me and tell no one.” 

Then she returned and sat in the hut, and in 
the evening her husband returned and climbed 
in by that window of his. 


oF 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


After a week had passed the husband took 
leave of his wife and went down to the harbour, 
ot on board his ship and set sail for Zanzibar. 

After he had gone, the wife came out quickly 
and went down to the harbour and got on board 
the vessel her mother had prepared for her and 
set sail behind him. 

In the middle of the ocean that boat of hers 
passed his. He looked at it and called out, ‘“‘ Who 
is that in the ship that is passing me?” 

She answered, “It is I, my name is Kitanga- 
tanga of the sea.” 

She arrived at Zanzibar, moored her vessel and 
went ashore, and found that house where he stayed 
and entered it and sat down. Presently her 
husband arrived, moored his boat and went up 
to that house. 

When he saw that woman he was surprised 
and said to her, “‘ How like you are to my wife 
whom I left in Kilwa!” 

So he talked to her for a while and then asked, 
Ate yOu Married. , | 

She replied, “‘ No, I am a widow.” 

Then he said, “ If you will marry me I will 
settle on you a hundred reals.” 


60 


KITANGATANGA OF- THE SEA 


So that woman agreed, and they were married, 
and they stayed together. After two weeks he 
said to her, “My wife, I must continue my 
journey to Maskat now; but in the space of six 
months I will return and stay with you.” 

She said, “It is well, my husband ; go, and 
return in safety.” 

So he got in his boat and set sail for Maskat. 
After he had gone she got in her boat and set 
sail behind him. In the middle of the sea her 
vessel passed his, and he called out, “‘ Who is that 
who is passing me?” 

She replied, “It is I, Kitangatanga of the 
sea.” She arrived first in Maskat and found that 
house where he stopped and went and sat in it. 
Presently her husband arrived, moored his ship 
and went up to the house. 

When he saw that woman sitting there he 
was very surprised and said, ‘“‘ How like you are 
to my wife whom: I left in Kilwa, and also to 
that woman I married in Zanzibar.” 

Then he asked her, “‘ Are you married ?” 

She replied, “No, I am a widow.” So he 
said, “I will marry you for one hundred reals.” 

She agreed, and they were married, and he 





BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


stayed with her six months there in Maskat. 
At the end of that time he said, “My wife, I 
must now return home. I will stay a year, and 
then J will return to you.” 

She said, ‘“‘Go, and return in peace, my 
husband.” 

So he set sail from Maskat, and that woman 
set sail after him. In the midst of the ocean 
she passed him again, and when he asked who 
it was, she replied, “It is I, Kitangatanga of 
the sea.” 

She arrived at Zanzibar and went up to that 
house. 

Presently her husband arrived, and she said, 
‘““'Welcome, stranger ; what is the news?” 

He replied, “The news is that I have made 
a prosperous journey to Maskat, and that there 
I met a woman just like the wife I left at Kilwa 
and also like you, and I married her.” 

She replied, “It is well, my husband.” 

After he had stopped several weeks he said to 
her, “My wife, I must now return home. I 
will stop one year, and then I will return to you.” 

So she said, “‘ May your journey be prosperous, 
my husband, and may you return in safety.” 


62 


KITANGATANGA OF THE SEA 


So he set sail for Kilwa, and she set sail after 
him. In the midst of the ocean she passed him 
again, and when he asked who it was, she replied, 
“It is I, Kitangatanga of the sea.” 

When she arrived in Kilwa she moored her 
vessel and went up to her house. She entered 
by her underground doorway and sat down. 
After a while her husband arrived and climbed 
in by his window. She said, “‘ Welcome, my 
husband.” 

Then she cooked food for him, and when he 
had eaten she asked him, ‘‘ What is the news of 
there where you have been?” 

He replied, “I made a good voyage to Zanzi- 
bar, and there I met a woman just like you. I 
married her for one hundred reals, and stayed 
with her for two weeks. Then I went on to 
Maskat, and there I met a woman exactly like 
you and like that woman I married in Zanzibar. 
I married her, too, for a hundred reals,and stopped 
with her six months. 

“Then I returned to Zanzibar and stayed with 
my wife there a few weeks, then set out for 
home, and here I am. Now what is the news 
here of this place whilst I have been away ?” 


63 


TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


That wife replied, ‘The news is this, 
my husband. I was angered because you 
put me in a hut without a door, so I 
made this underground door which you 
see there. 

“Then, when you set sail, I set sail after 
you, and I passed you in the sea; and 
when you asked who I was, I replied, 
‘ Kitangatanga of the sea!’ 

“TI came first to Zanzibar, and it was I 
whom you married there for a hundred 
reals. 

“When you left for Maskat, I set sail 
behind you, and arrived there first. It 
was I also whom you married in Maskat 
for one hundred reals. That is my news, 
my husband.” 

When her husband heard that, he said, 
“Indeed, this is true. Now I will build 
you a very fine hut with a door in it, so 
that you may go out when you please.” 

So he built her a splendid hut with 
a door and put her into it, and there 


they lived happily. 


SMALL 
ROoF 








SInGinG 


gy 


AFRICAaM 
“CLANO“ 
Witty 
GouRP 
RESONATOR 








panier 


IX 


THE LION’S TALISMAN 


TuE talisman of the lion is like that of cattle ; 
it is a hairy pellet,and he carries it about with 


him in his mouth. 


When he goes out to hunt he digs a hole in 
the ground and hides it there. Then he goes to 
hunt, and when he has finished hunting and eat- 


ing meat till he is satisfied, he comes 
back to that place where he has hid 
his charm and digs it up and swallows 
it. 

When he sees that he is about to 
die, he throws it far away, so that it 
may not be found at his death. 

Should a man get it, he becomes 
possessed of great good fortune. If 
he wishes he can put it away and 
keep it, or if he desires he can sell it for 
much money, or he can make it into 
a charm and wear it himself. If a 
man wearing this charm meets with a 
lion, that lion is unable to do anything 
to him, by reason of that charm. 


65 F 





BLES BOK 

















ag 
BIRD 


Once upon a time there was a Sultan, and he 
had one son, a very handsome youth, called 
Hasani. f Moen 

Every day at noon the Sultan and his son used 
to go to the mosque to pray. After they had 
gone the Sultan’s wife used to sort out the seeds of 
every kind of grain in the Sultan’s store. Those 
that needed drying she gave to a slave, called 
Kibaraka, to put out in the sun to dry. 

One day, after the Sultan and his son had gone 
to prayer, she called to the slave, ‘‘ Kibaraka, take 
these seeds and put them out inthe sun.” Kiba- 
raka took the grain and spread it out to dry, 
each kind by itself. 

66 


STORY OF KIBARAKA AND THE BIRD 


Suddenly a wondrously fine bird came and sat 
down by the grain and called out — 

“‘Kibaraka! Kibaraka!” 

He answered, “ Here, lady, here.” 

Then the bird sang. — 


Bird. “ Shall I eat of this wheat ? 
Or shall I not eat ? 
Or shall I eat millet?” 


Kibaraka, “Eat, Lady, I will it.” 


Bird. “Shall I eat rape instead? 
Or must I not be fed? 
Shall I eat maize to-day ?” 


Kibaraka, “Eat, Lady, eat, I pray.” 


Bird. “Shall I eat all the grain? 
Or must I now refrain? 
Shall I eat rice to-day?” 


Kibaraka. “Eat, Lady, eat, I pray.” 
Bird. ““Where has your master gone to-day ?” 
Kibaraka. “Gone to the mosque to read and pray.” 


Bird. “ My greetings to the Sultan give 
When he returns. Long may he live.” 


At that it flew away. 
On the next day and the day after the bird 
came again and sung the same song. 


Till one day Kibaraka told his young master 
67 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


Hasani, “‘ Master, every day at one o'clock, 
when you are at the mosque, a lovely bird 
comes here.” 

Hasani asked, “‘ What kind of bird is this?” 

Kibaraka said, ‘All ordinary wonders are 
surpassed by this bird, for it sings a very 
beautiful song,” and he told his master of the 
song. 

At these words the Sultan’s son perceived that 
this bird was of the daughters of the Jins, and 
he fell in love with her. 

Then he said to Kibaraka, “See here, I have 
given you your freedom, you are no longer a slave, 
and now you must catch this bird for me.” 

After that Hasani was seized with a grievous 
illness because of his longing for that bird till, on 
the third day at one o’clock, the Sultan went out 
to look for all the wisest of the medicine men to 
attend to his son. 

Whilst he was gone that bird came and sat by 
the grain and called, “ Kibaraka! Kibaraka !” 

Kibaraka cut a thin pole and made a noose at 
the end and set it near the bullrush millet, the 
grain the bird loved best. 

When it had finished eating all the seeds it 

68 


SLORY OF KIBARAKA AND THE BIRD 


wished to fly away, but one of its wings caught 
in the noose. : 

Then it said to Kibaraka, “ Please let me go 
and do not touch me, for you will injure me. 
Take this feather of mine and carry it to your 
master, and let it be my salaams to him.” 

So Kibaraka brought the feather to the Sultan’s 
son. Hasani was very pleased. Then he said to 
him, “ Kibaraka, my brother, why did not you 
catch the owner of this feather ?” 

Kibaraka said, ‘‘] was not able to catch it. 
When I saw it I fell down seven times because 
of its light, and my wisdom forsook me.” 

When the Sultan returned, his son said to him, 
‘“‘My father, you must sound the pallaver-horn, 
that all the people may come before the palace.” 
The Sultan loved his son exceedingly, so he 
gathered all his people together. Then Hasan 
said, ‘‘’ Tell the people that they must look for 
this bird and bring it to me, and if they do not 
bring it I shall die.” So the Sultan gave out 
the order, “There is no leave to weave or spin, to 
grind corn or pound grain, until this bird has been 
brought.” 

At once all the people of that country went 

69 ! 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


out into the jungles and deserts to look for that 
bird. Every one who found a fine bird would 
seize it and bring it to the Sultan’s son, but to 
each he said, “‘ This is not the one.” 

Till one day, as people were sitting in the 
Sultan’s court holding a pallaver, just after one 
o'clock had struck, they looked up and saw a dust- 
cloud coming like rain. 

Behold, it was that bird coming, and Kibaraka 
recognised its coming. 

When it came it sat down by the grain and 
ate all the seeds till, as it came to the last, 
Kibaraka caught it and brought it to his master. 
When Hasani looked on that bird, behold, it was 
a beautiful woman. 

He said, “ Kibaraka, run quickly, go your way 
to the audience chamber and tell my father that 
he must fire the cannons, for the thing I desired 
has come to pass, and the request I made of 
Allah has been granted.” 

So Kibaraka came and told the Sultan, and 
the cannons were fired, and wedding festivities 
and feastings were held for nine years. 

After that Hasani and the fair Jin had a child, 


a boy like pearls and precious stones. 


79 


STORY OF KIBARAKA AND THE BIRD 


And Hasani loved his wife exceedingly, and 
the people of that country saw wonders come to 
pass, for the second son was like the stars and 
the moon. 

The house of that Sultan was greatly blessed, 
and the story ends here. 





AFaican 
OKAP: 





XI 
THE SUTORY“OF THE FOOLS 


Once upon a time there lived a man called 
Omari and his wife, and they had a very fine 
fat black ox. So fat was this ox that all the 
young men in the village wanted to eat it, but 
Omari would not part with it. 

Till one day he went away on a journey; then 
they thought, ‘“‘ Now we will be able to get that 
ox and have a feast, for his wife is a great fool.” 

So twenty men set out and came to the house 


of that woman, Omari’s wife, and they knocked 
on the door. 


© Hlodin? 

And she replied, ‘“‘ Come near.” 

So they went in and told that woman, “ We 
have had a vision, and in that vision we saw that 
you were going to have a child, a beautiful boy, 
who will be rich and clever, and will marry the 
daughter of the Wazir.” 

Now when the woman heard this she was 
wondrously pleased, for she had no child. 


72 


THE. STORY OF THE FOOLS 


Then these men said, * There was, in our 
dream, the sacrifice of a black ox, before this 
came to pass.” 

So she said, “Take my ox and sacrifice him, 
that the vision may come true.” 

They replied, ‘Shall we kill him, though, 
while your husband is away ?” 

She said, ‘‘ Take him, yes, take him, for my 
husband will be only too pleased when he knows 
for what purpose the ox has been slain ; and he, 
too, desires a son.” 

So the youths took away the ox and killed it 
and feasted and made merry. 

After three days the husband returned, and 
when he did not see his ox in its stall he asked 
his wife, “ Where is the ox ?” 

She said to him, “It has been slaughtered.” 

Whyte 

She replied, ““ Men came who had dreamed a 
dream that we should have a beautiful male 
child of great good fortune, and as the sacrifice 
of a black ox was necessary to bring it true, I 
gave ours to them.” 

Omari then said to his wife, ‘‘ You are a fool. 
Now I am going out to search for as great a 


73 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


fool as you are. If I cannot find any one who 
is your equal in folly, I shall leave you; you 
will cease to be my wife.” 

So Omari took his donkey and rode away till 
he came to the house of a certain rich man, and 
this house had a verandah beneath it. Omari 
got off his donkey, and as he stood there, a 
woman, one of the slaves of the household, 
passed in, and said to him, “‘ Master, where do 
you come from?” 

Omari replied, “‘ I come from the next world.” 

Then was that slave very astonished, and she 
went upstairs to her mistress and said to her, 
“There, below in the verandah, is a man who 
comes from the next world.” 

“Ts that indeed so?” asked the mistress. 

“Tt is indeed true, and if you doubt me ask 
him yourself, for he is there below,” said the 
slave. 

So the mistress sent her slave down to call 
Omari up into the house, and she came to him 
and said, “The mistress asks you to come 
upstairs.” 

Omari replied, “I cannot come upstairs; I 
am afraid, because it is a stranger’s house.” 


74 


























(Preven. 





So Amari took his donkey and rode away. 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


When the slave brought these words to her 
mistress, she herself came down and called to 
Omari, “Do not be afraid; come upstairs ; 
there is no danger.” 

So Omari went upstairs, and that woman 
asked him, ‘‘ Master, where do you come 
frome 

Omari. tepucd, 1 come from the “next 
world.” 

“See,” said the slave ; “‘ were not my words 
true: 

Then was that mistress very amazed, and 
she asked him, “ Why have you left the next 
world?” 

“‘T have come to see my father,” answered 
Omari. 

“‘ My father, who is dead,” said the woman ; 
“have you met him there in the next world?” 

““ What is he called, and what is he like?” 
said Omari. 

*“ He is called so-and-so, son of so-and-so,” 
said the woman, and she described to him his 
appearance. : 

Omari replied, ‘I have seen him.” 

“* And how is he?” 


76 


THE STORY OF THE FOOLS 


At that Omari put on an air of grief and 
shook his head and sighed. 

“Oh, tell me, what is the matter with my 
father?” asked the woman. 

Omari replied, ‘“‘ He is in great trouble. He 
has no money or clothes or food. Oh, his 
state is very bad!” 

When that woman heard these words she 
wept. Then she asked Omari, “ When do you 
return to the next world ?” 

“J return to-morrow. First, I must see my 
father, who is still alive, and then I go back.” 

«Will you see my father when you return?” 

“Most certainly,” said Omari. ‘Do I not 
live next door to him?” 

“Then,” said that woman, “‘ you must take 
him a present from me.” 

So she went into an inner room and took out 
a bag of a thousand dollars, and clothes, and a 
robe, and turbans, and came and gave them to 
Omari, and said, “‘ Take these and give them to 
my father, and say that they are from his 
daughter, Binti Fatima.” 

Then she went in and brought out another 
bag and said, “Take these hundred dollars ; 


Tf 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


they are a present for you, as you are taking 
these things for my father.” 

So Omari gathered up the bags of money and 
the clothes and left that woman, and mounted 
his donkey and rode away. 

He had only just left when the husband of 
that woman in the house returned home. He 
noticed that his wife was very joyful, so he 
asked her, “ My wife, why are you so glad 
to-day?” 

She said to him, “‘ A man has just been here 
who has come from the next world, and he has 
met my father there in great trouble. So I 
have given him a thousand dollars and clothes 
to take to my father. That is why I am so 
happy; for now the spirit of my father will be 
very pleased with us, and it will bring us great 
good fortune.” 

Now that man saw that his wife had been 
fooled, but he feared to say so, in case his wife 
should tell him no more, and he wished to 
follow that man and get the money back. 

So he said to her, “‘ You are not a good wife, 
for when a man came from the next world to 
tell you about your father you gave him an 


78 


TRE STORY OF THE POOLS 


offering to take back to him, but you never 
asked him about my father, or gave him any- 
thing to take to him.” 

Then the wife said, “Oh, forgive me, my 
husband, but as he has only just left you may 
overtake him. He was riding a donkey, and he 
left by that road.” 

Then she described him. So the husband 
called for his horse, and the wife ran in and 
brought out another bag of a thousand dollars, 
and as he mounted she gave it to him, saying, 
“Take this, my husband, and give it to him for 
your father, and if you gallop after him down 
that road you will surely overtake him.” 

Now Omari had ridden away on his donkey 
till he came to a plantation, then he turned his 
head and saw, in the distance, the dust made by 
a galloping horse. There was no one on that 
plantation except one male slave, and so Omari 
said to him, “ Do you see that dust? It is 
made by a man of great violence. I am going 
to hide from him, and I advise you to climb up 
into a coco-nut tree, lest he do you some harm. 
If he speaks to you do not answer him, for it 
will only make him more angry.” 


79 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


So that slave scrambled up a coco-nut palm as 
fast as he could, whilst Omari hid himself and 
his donkey in a thicket close by. 

Presently the husband of the woman galloped 
up, and saw the slave clambering up to the top 
of a tall coco-nut tree. 

He stopped and called out, “‘ Have you seen a 
man riding a donkey pass here ?”’ 

The slave did not answer, but continued 
climbing higher and higher. He asked him 
again and again, and the slave did not reply, 
but only made more haste to get well out of 
reach. 

Then was that man very angry, and he got 
down from his horse and divested himself of all 
his robes, except only an under-garment, and 
placing them and the money on the ground, 
started climbing up after the slave. 

Omari watched him from behind the thicket, 
and, when he had got well up the tree, he came 
out and seized that man’s money and clothes, as 
well as those he already had, and then mounted 
his horse and galloped off. 

When that man came down from the tree he 
found all his clothes and his money and_ his 


80 


THES STORY OF THE FOOLS 


horse gone, and he was very ashamed. So he 
had to return home wearing only a loin-cloth. 

When he came in his wife asked him, “ My 
husband, why do you return naked like that ?” 

He was ashamed to tell her that he also had 
been fooled by that man, so he said, “I met the 
man from the next world, who told me that my 
father was in a very distressed condition, that he 
had no clothes, and was dressed in rags. So 
when I heard that, I took off all my clothes and 
gave them to that man to take to my father.” 

Now Omari took all that money, and the 
clothes, and the horse, and came back to his, 
wife and told her, “I on that I would seek for 
a fool like unto yourself, and if I did not find 
one that you would cease to be my wife. Well, 
now I am content, for I have found two fools, 
each one more foolish than you.” 

So they lived together, Omari and his wife, 
and they spent the money and were happy 
together. 

Here ends the story of the fools, the fool-wife, 
and the husband and wife who were fooled. 


81 G 







thE 


oid Vag em 


STRIPED 
HYAENA 


A HYAENA went forth to drink water one day, 
and he came to a well and stooped down to 
quench his thirst. Now where he stooped down 
there was a moonbeam shining on the water. 

The hyaena saw that moonshine there in the 
water and he thought it was a bone. He tried 
to reach it, but he could not, so he said to him- 
self, “‘ Now if I drink all this water I will get 
that bone which is at the bottom.” 

So he drank and drank, and the water was not 
finished. So he drank and drank again, till he 
was so full of water that he died. 





FIYAEN AY 
/VCONREAM, 





HE NUTTIN Ss 
ia nes 


qu 


ONCE upon a time there was a Sultan 
and his Wazir, and those two men were 
very rich with much wealth, but neither 
had a son. 

They took counsel together, “ How 
will it be when we die? Who shall we 
leave all this wealth to and we are without 
children ?”’ 

The Sultan said to the Wazir, “We 
must go to a far country and look for 
some wise man who will tell us what 
to do.” 

So they went away, and wandered on and on 
for three years, till at last they met an old 
woman, bent with the weight of many years. 

That woman said to them, “ My grandsons, I 
know what you have come for.” 

Then she sank down to the bottom of a big 
lake, and when she came up again out of the 
water she brought in her hands two charms, 


83 


























At last they met an old woman, bent with the weight of 
many years. 


THE SULTAN’S SNAKE-CHILD 


which were two slimy roots ; one for the Sultan 
and one for the Wazir. And she said, “Take 
these, and when you return home you will find 
that your wish has already been accomplished ; 
but to these charms I give you there are con- 
ditions attached. When you arrive in your town, 
you must tell no man about it, and take heed that 
in the way you neither chirrup nor look back.” 

Then she shook her withered hand and said, 
“It has taken you three years to come; you 
will return in one month. Farewell.” 

Then the Sultan and the Wazir set off home. 

In the way the Wazir said, ‘‘ Allah be praised 
that our wish has been granted.” The Sultan, 
forgetting the old woman’s warning, chirruped, 
as much as to say, “‘I will believe when I see.” 

After one month they came to the gate of 
their town, and as they entered the cannons 
sounded and the news spread forth, ‘“ There is 
an heir in the palace of the Sultan, and there is 
an heir in the house of the Wazir.” 

The Wazir returned to his house swiftly, 
and there he found a most beautiful boy. 

The Sultan came to the palace, and there he 
found a snake. 


85 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


When he heard that the Wazir had a lovely 
child he was very pleased, and he used to go 
every day to the Wazir’s house to see that child, 
but he told his people to throw that snake out 
of the palace. 

Now there was a slave girl in the palace called 
Mizi, and when she saw them taking that snake 
to throw it in the river she said, ‘“‘ Give me that 
snake, that I may bring him up as my child.” 

So Mizi took that snake and wore him round 
her neck till he grew, and then she came to the 
Sultan and said, “ Build me a grass hut, that I 
may live there with my child, the snake.” 

So a hut was built for her, and she stayed there 
by herself with that snake. She took her cook- 
ing pots there, and cooked food for herself and 
the snake. Every day she fed that snake, and it 
grew and grew, till at last it filled up the whole 
hut. 

Then that snake said to Mizi, “Go and tell 
the Sultan that his little snake wants a stone 
house of seven storeys in which to live. He 
must look for craftsmen who are not afraid, to 
come and build the house, and what they ask 
must be given them.” 


86 


THE SULTAN’S SNAKE-CHILD 


So Mizi came and told those words to the 
Sultan, and craftsmen who had no fear were 
sought for. They came and built a house of 
seven storeys in the space of seven days, and the 
wages they asked for were given them. 

When the house was finished, they said, 
* Go and tell the little snake that the house 
is ready.” 

Then Mizi and the snake moved into that 
house and lived there. Till one day the snake 
said to Mizi, “Go and look for a sage who will 
teach me learning, but he must be master of his 
heart and unafraid. He must come of his own 
free will.” 

So she went and sought a man of learning, 
but every one she asked to come replied, “I am 
not going so as to be swallowed whole by that 
snake.” 

At last she found a sage who said, “I will go, 
for I see that Mizi lives with this snake and is 
not devoured, so why should I be eaten?” 

So that professor came and taught the snake 
learning of every kind, and when he had finished 
he went to the Sultan and received the pay he 
asked for. 


87 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


So the snake and Mizi lived together, till one 
day that snake said to her, ‘“‘ Now you must go 
and look for a wife for me; but she must come 
of her own free will, and what money she wants 
she must have.” 

So a wife for the snake was sought for in all 
the land, but none was found; all said, “ Who 
wants to go and be swallowed whole by a big 
snake?” 

Now in that country was a very poor man 
who had seven daughters. When the news 
came to them all refused, till the seventh and 
youngest was asked, and she replied, “‘ We are 
very poor ; I will go and be eaten by that snake. 
What matter ?” 

So that girl was taken and decked out with 
pearls and precious stones and clothes of silk, 
and then Mizi was called and told, “ This is the 
wife of your master, the snake. Take her.” 

So Mizi took her and brought her to the 
snake, and he said, “ Arrange everything for her 
comfort.” 

When night had come, Mizi slept with that 
girl till, when twelve o’clock came, that snake 
came out from inside his skin. He put on 


88 


THE SULTAN’S SNAKE-CHILD 


wooden sandals and went to the bathroom and 
made his ablutions. When he had finished 
washing he took his prayer mat and spread it 
out and prayed and read the Koran. 

After that he came and sat near that girl and 
looked at her and said, “‘ My wife is beautiful ; 
she has beautiful eyes, lovely ears and long ~ 
straight hair, Hhum! Poor me, who am a 
snake. Sleep, my beautiful wife.” 

Then he entered his skin again and slept. 

Seven days passed in this way, and on the 
eighth Mizi said to that girl, “I will fasten a 
thread to your thumb; when I pull it open 
your eyes and look at him.” 

That night, at twelve o’clock, the snake came 
out of his skin, and then Mizi pulled the thread 
and that girl awoke and opened her eyes and 
saw a wondrously handsome Arab youth : in all 
that country there was no youth so handsome as 
that son of the Sultan. 

The snake went to the bathroom and made 
his ablutions, and then returned and prayed and 
read the Koran. 

At the time of the before dawn breezes he 
came and looked at his wife and then returned 


89 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


to his skin. When dawn came Mizi and that 
girl took counsel together, and then Mizi went 
to the Sultan and said to him, “ Give me three 
tins of oil and ten maunds of Rewoede 

When she had got them she had them brought 
to the house. 

Then she said to that girl, “ ‘Now we must dig 
a pit here in the other room.’ 

So they dug a pit and put in it the firewood 
and then poured the oil over it. 

That night they watched till after midnight. 
When the youth went to the bathroom they got 
up and seized on the skin and tried to drag it 
into the pit, but it was too heavy for them. So 
they exerted all their strength, till at last they 
managed to drag it into the pit. After that 
they set fire to the wood and the oil. 

When its owner in the bathroom heard the 
skin crackling he ran in and said to Mizi, 
‘“‘ What have you done, taking away my clothes 
to put in the fire?” Then he fell down, and 
did not regain consciousness till three o’clock 
next day, for that youth did not know the world 
outside of his skin. 

When he recovered Mizi cooked porridge for 


go 


THE SULTAN’S SNAKE-CHILD 


him, and when he had eaten it he said to Mizi, 

“Go to the Sultan and tell him to make offer- 
y _ INgsy.J nine shells full of alms ; for the day after 
| to-morrow I will go out.’ 

So Mizi went with the news to the Sultan, 
but he replied, “Go back and get eaten by that 
snake. We donot want any more of your folly ; 
for you have taken the poor man’s daughter and 
brought ne to the snake, and she has already 
been swallowed up. Now you in your turn will 
be eaten, and\to-day, I suppose, you have come > 
to take leave ofvus.” 

Mizi returned and said to that youth, ‘“‘ He 
will not give the offering.” 

He replied, ‘“‘ Then leave him’; he who has 
had no luck doés not trust to hice On Friday 
I will come forth by the power of Allah, alone.” 

When F riday came he decked his horse with 
pearls and precious stones and rode off to the 
mosque to pray amongst all the people ; but the 
Sultan did not know that it was his son. 

Then Mizi came forth and trilled and shouted 
for joy, and told every one in the mosque: 
“‘LLook at me to-day, for it is to-day that my 

«son, the snake, has come to life.” 


ei 91 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


She came and knocked at the poor man’s door, 
and when she-.got no answer she entered and 
went into the kitchen, and there she saw a lovely 
woman decked out with pearls and jewels’ “She~ »_ 
went running back to the Sultan and said to 
him, “I have just seen the most wondrously 
beautiful woman in the house of that beggar 
who lives near us.’ | 

The Sultan then ordéred his soldiers, ‘‘ Go to 
fetch the wife of the beggar, that Z may see if 
the words of this slave are true or false.” 

, So they went and took Mwanamizi and brought 
rher to the palace. When thé’Sultan saw her he 
thought her very beautiful. 

Sd he said, “This womans too beautiful for 
a beggar. I will take her for my wife.” 

Now when that poor man returned from 
begging he. uld not find his wife; then the 
neighbours* ¢ ld him, ‘The woman has been 
taken by the Sultan to his palace.” 

So he threw down his bag and went round to the 
palace, and rushed in before the Sultan and asked 
him, ‘‘ Where is my wife whom‘you have taken?” 

The Sultan replied, “Get out of my sight, 
you foolish fellow, or I will order my soldiers to. 
beat you.” | J 


94 


age * 
- 


POOR MAN AND HIS WIFE 


Then he said, ‘‘ If you will not give me back 
my wife, take off my ornaments which she is 
wearing and return them to me, that I may go.” 

At that the Sultan called his soldiers and had 
him turned out of the palace. 

After that the poor man went under the 
Sultan’s window and sang— 

“ Qh listen, master, unto me: 
My wife I carved from yonder tree ; 
I carved her well, with zeal untold, 
And decked her out with fetters gold. 
These ornaments and jewels fine, 
Oh, give them back, for they are mine ; 
And, Mwanamizi, let me go.” 

When the woman heard the poor man’s song 
she was bathed in tears. 

The Sultan then said to her, “ Take off those 
silly ornaments and throw them to him, that he 
may go away. I will give you things tenfold 
more fine and rare.” 

The woman did not want to take off those 
things. 

The poor man sang again— 

“ Oh listen, master, unto me: 
I carved my wife from yonder tree.” 

Then the woman took off her ornaments and 
‘threw them down to him, saying— 


95 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


“The ornaments are thine, 
The golden fetters fine ; 
‘Take them, oh, take them, 
Makami, and go.” 

She cried then very much, and took off all her 
things, till there was left a single charm round 
her neck. 

The Sultan said, “‘ Take off all his ornaments 
quickly and throw them to him, that he may 
go.” But Mwanamizi did not want to take oft 
that charm, for it was her soul. Then the poor 
man sang again, and Mwanamizi unfastened the 
charm from her neck and threw it to him, and 
at that moment she turned into a tree there in 
the house of the Sultan. 

The poor man sighed and went back to his 
house, but the Sultan in his palace was seized 
with great fear. 

The telling of the story ends here: 


ee 
~S 


Se ee Bi 
VII om 


M.E CENTRAL 
AFRICA 


BINT ALI 
Uae 


GEE N/a. 






XV 


ONcE upon a time there was a Sultan and his 
Wazir, and that Sultan had seven children, all 
sons, and that Wazir had seven children, all 
daughters. 

Those daughters of the Wazir had no mother; 
their mother had died, and they were very poor. 

The sons of the Sultan used to laugh at the 
daughters of the Wazir, saying, ‘You poor 
people, what do you eat? It is our father who 


97 2 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


pays your father his wages, and how do they 
suffice for you seven people who are in one 
house? You poor creatures, you have not even 
a brother to help you.” 

Now those girls use to plait baskets and sell 
them. They lived for many days like that, their 
work being to cry every day, and when they 
came out of school they used to plait and 
sell their baskets. Till one day the youngest 
daughter, who was called Binti Ali, was sit- 
ting with her father, and she said to him, “‘ What 
advice have you to give us, father?” 

Her father asked her, “ Why, my child?” 

She said to him, “We are only seven girls; 
we have neither husbands nor brothers. Should 
anything happen to you, who will be our head- 
man? Father, you must arrange to have a ship 
built for me, and it must be ready in the space 
of three years.” 

Her father said, ‘‘ All this wealth, where shall 
_I get it from, that I may build a ship?” 

She answered him, “ God, the merciful, will 
provide.” 

In the morning the Wazir arose and went to 
the Sultan and said to him, “Give me help, 


98 


BINTI ALL THE CLEVER 


for my youngest child wants a vessel built for 
her.” 

The Sultan brought out nine lakhs of rupees 
and gave them to his Wazir. Then the Wazir 
sought for workmen, and told them to build a 
ship and have it ready in three years’ time. 

Now that child, Binti Ali, was very beautiful, 
more beautiful than all her sisters. Many men 
had come to seek her in marriage, but she had 
refused them, saying, “I am poor; my father 
has not wealth to suffice for my wedding.” 

At the end of three years the ship was ready, 
and her father called her, “ Eh, my child, Binti 
Ali.” And she answered him, ‘‘ Lebeka, father,” 
which means “ Here I am” in the language of 
to-day ; but long, long ago, Lebek was the name 
of the god worshipped by the Pheenicians at the 
temple of Baal-lebek (Bal bek). 

Her father said to her, “ Your ship is finished 
and ready for you.” 

So she went to see it, and found that it was 
built in a wondrously fine way. When she re- 
turned she said to her father, ““ Now you must 
find me a captain and sailors, and you must put 
on the vessel enough food to last three years.” 


99 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


So he found a crew for her, and provisioned 
the ship and returned. Then she said, “ Father, 
now you must buy for me fine raiment, a sultan’s 
turban, a shirt and coat, and a sword and dagger. 
Also you must get for me sandals of gold braid 
and two men’s gold rings.” 

So her father searched for one hour and half a 
second, and then returned and said, “ My child, 
the things you want are ready.” 

Then he asked her, “ My child, where are you 
going to? Tell me.” 

She said, ‘‘ Father, have you no understand- 
ing? Iam going to the country of the Sultan 
Makami.” 

Her father said to her, ‘“‘ My child, you are 
already lost. Do you not know that a woman 
may not go to the country of Sultan Makami? 
Any other than a male who enters the country 
is put to death.” 

Binti Ali said to him, “ Father, have you no 
wits, you, a full-grown man, who rule all this 
land? Do you not see that all these clothes 
which you have bought for me are men’s 
clothes? I want to go and see Makami’s 
country.” 


100 


BINT ALI THE CLEVER 


Her father said, “I do not approve of this 
journey you are setting out upon.” 

His daughter replied, “‘ What becomes of me 
is in the hands of God.” 

Then she entered the bathroom and washed 
herself, and when she came out she was dressed 
as a man. Now that girl had wisdom more 
than all her sisters, and she was well read in the 
Koran. 

She took her dog, whose name was Atakalo, 
and she entered the ship and set sail. 

She travelled day and night for three years, 
and there in the midst of the ocean she taught 
her dog till it attained great learning. 

At the end of the third year she drew near to 
the country of Sultan Makami, and she ordered 
a salute to be fired, and the people on land 
replied also with a salute. 

When her vessel drew near, the Sultan’s son 
rowed out to meet her. He climbed on board, 
and there he saw a handsome Arab youth sitting 
on the deck. 

Binti Ali arose, and they greeted one another | 
after the fashion of men: ‘‘ Peace be with you,” 
** And with you peace.” 

IOI 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


She went ashore with that son of the Sultan, 
and they came to the palace. 

When they came to the palace he said to his 
father, the Sultan, ‘‘ How shall we see that this 
isa man and nota woman? Let us give him 
very hot gruel, and if it is a woman she will not 
be able to drink it, and then we will kill her.” 

So they ordered food to be brought, and 
slaves were told: ‘‘ Take matting and platters, 
and very big trays and cups of gold, and place 
them ready for the feast.” 

When the food was ready they brought gruel 
for that foreign youth to drink, and it was very 
hot. 

Binti Ali took it and threw it away, saying, 
“* Am I a woman, that you bring me cold gruel 
like that ? ” 

So they prepared fresh gruel, steaming hot, 
and gave it to her, and she said, “‘ Ah, that is 
more fit for a Sultan’s son to drink.” 

So she put it beside her, and her dog Atakalo 
blew on it, so that it quickly cooled, and she 
drank it. 

Very good food was then brought, and they 
fed, and she returned to her ship. 


102 


BINTI ALI THE CLEVER 


The Sultan then said, “’To-morrow we must 
take this foreigner to my store of jewels and 
ornaments, and if it be a woman we will 
surely see, for she will take delight in women’s 
jewellery.” 

All night long Binti Ali taught Atakalo what 
he should do, and in the morning the Sultan’s 
son came to fetch her. 

He said, “‘ My father says that I am to take 
you to his store and show you his treasures.” 

So they went to the Sultan’s treasure-house, 
where they showed her neck chains and nose 
pendants, anklets and bracelets, women’s gold 
rings and ear ornaments. ; 

She said, ‘“‘ Have you in this country no men’s 
ornaments, that you should show me nothing but 
women’s jewellery? ” 

So they brought her to the next store, wherein 
were gold-hilted daggers and all manner of arms, 
swords and pistols, guns and muskets. These 
she admired, and meanwhile Atakalo went and 
swallowed all the gold ornaments he could find 
and took them to the ship, till he had brought 
-~ much wealth aboard. 

Then the Sultan’s son said to his father, 


103 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


“Now what shall we do, so that we may kill her 
if she is a woman?” 

So the Sultan said, “‘ Make him take off his 
turban, and then we will surely see by the manner 
in which he ties it whether it is a woman or not.” 

So the Sultan’s son said, “ Now will you not 
wash ?” 

Binti Ali said, “Thank you, I have already 
bathed on board.” 

So he said, “If it is only your face, I beseech 
you to wash.” 

So she said, “‘ Certainly ; but first you and 
your father must wash.” 

So they took off their turbans and began to 
wash, when suddenly there was a shout from 
outside: ‘“ The Sultan’s house is on fire.” 

Behold, that dog Atakalo had brought a brand 
and set fire to the palace. Then the Sultan and 
his son and all the people in his house rushed out, 
with their turbans in their hands, to see what 
was the matter and help put out the flames. 

Binti Ali went down swiftly to her ship and 
got on board, and meanwhile Atakalo had run 
round and bored a hole in the bottom of every 
boat and ship in the Sultan’s harbour. Then 


104 


BINT! ALI THE CLEVER 


Atakalo came back to her vessel and said, 
“ Mistress, I have finished.” 
So she weighed anchor and changed into her 





woman’s clothes. The Sultan and his son and 

all the people, when they saw that she was sailing 

off, rushed down to the beach and tried to row 
105 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


out and stop her, but every boat they launched 
sunk ; and so they were not able to get to her. 
Then they saw her come up on the deck, 
Then, changing her clothes as a woman, she 
sings— 
“‘ Makami, behold my bracelets and rings. 
See my anklets, Makami. Aha, behold ! 
See the chain for my neck of beautiful gold. 
Behold now my ear-rings and nose-stud see. 
Lola, Makami, lola, look well at me. 
I’m Binti Ali, the Wazir’s daughter ; 
I came, Makami, from over the water. 
We are seven in all, the last born am I. 


Farewell, Makami, for I bid you good-bye. 
Lola, Makami, lola, farewell.” 


Then she said to the captain, “Set sail, and let 
us return home.” 

When she arrived home there in her town 
her father and sisters were holding a great 
mourning for her, for they said, ““ Our youngest 
one has now been away many years ; surely she 
must be dead.” 

When they saw her their hearts were very 
glad, and a feast was made for her for the space 
of three days. - And the riches she brought with 
her, which her dog Atakalo had taken from the 


106 


BINT ALL THE CLEVER 


Sultan’s treasure house, were brought to land ; 
and when he saw them her father rejoiced 
greatly. 

After a space of ten days she said to her father, 
“‘T know that Sultan Makami’s son is making a 
plan to get me. If he comes here and asks for 
me in marriage, do not refuse him, but agree. 
My cleverness, which I have in my heart, is that 
which will save me.” 

One day the Sultan of Makami’s son arrived, 
and came to the Wazir and said, “I want your 
daughter, Binti Ali, in marriage.” 

So the Wazir agreed. 

Binti Ali took a large pumpkin and filled it 
with honey and placed it on her bed, and she 
herself got under the bed. 

That night the Sultan of Makami’s son came 
into her room and said, ‘“*‘ Ee, woman,” and she 
replied, ‘“‘ Lebeka, master.” 

Then he said, “‘ You, woman, you think that 
you can come to our country and cheat us, pre- 
tending that you are a man. Behold, to-day is 
your last, so make profession of faith quickly, so 
that you may be prepared for death.” 

Binti Ali said, “I testify there is no God but 


107 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


one God, and Muhammad is the prophet of 
God.” 

So he drew his sword and struck a blow which 
cut the pumpkin in two, and then he went out 
quickly and got on his ship and sailed away. 
When he came to look at his sword, to wipe 
the blood off, he found no blood, but only honey 
stuck all over it. 

This is the end of the story. The tale comes 
from the Wazir and his daughter, the last born, 
who was called Binti Ali the Clever. 






SN ote 


wht 


XVI 
SEGU THE HONEY-GUIDE 


Secu is the honey-guide. His work is that he 
lives in the forest and flies about looking for bees’ 
nests, and when he finds one he goes to look for 
men. When he finds them he says, “ Che ! che ! 
che ! che!” until those sons of men look up and 
say, “Ah, there is Segu. Let us go with him 
that he may show us honey.” 

So these people follow Segu, who flies in front 
from tree to tree saying, “‘ Che ! che ! che ! che !” 

When he comes to that tree where the honey 
is he flies round, saying, “ Che ! che ! che ! che!” 
very fast, and then he goes and sits by himself. 

Then these men come to the tree and look up 
and see where the bees’ nest is ; so they climb up 
with their axe and cut a hole and get out the 
honey. 

They take that honey and are very pleased, but 
a little of it they leave for Segu as his share. 

On these people going away, Segu comes out 
and finds the honey which they have left him ; so 


10g 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


he sits and eats and fills himself, and arises and 
flies away. This is, indeed, Segu’s manner of 
living. 

Another day Segu sees a lion asleep, and he 
looks for people, and when he finds them he 
twitters and says, “Che! che! che! che! ” 

Then these people follow him thinking, “ To- 
_ day Segu is going to show us much honey.” 

They follow him up there to where the lion is 
lying, and when they suddenly see him they are 
unable to stand, if there is running away to be 
done instead. 

The lion frightens these people, so they run 
swiftly away, saying, ‘“‘ To-day Segu has done 
evil; every day he shows us honey, and to-day he 
comes to show us a lion.” 

That is_all. 





XVII 


THERE were once upon a time two poor 
children, one was called Lila and one was called 
Fila, and they were great friends. 

Fila said one day to Lila, “Our mothers are 
poor ; what can we do for a living, my friend? 
We have no money with which to repay them 
for the kindness they have shown towards us. 
We have now become full-grown lads, and have 

rit 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


not yet earned any money to give them. I pro- 
pose that we set out on a journey and see what 
we can find.” 

Lila agreed to the words of his friend, and so 
each one went to his mother and said to her, 
“Mother, make me seven ladu-cakes, for I am 
going on a journey to a very far country.” 

And each mother replied, “‘ Where are you 
going, my beloved child ?” 

Lila’s mother said to him, “ Do not go with 
Fila.” 

Lila answered, “I am not able to leave my 
friend Fila for half a second.” 

His mother said, “ It is he that will leave you, 
and it is you that will be lost.” 

He replied, “ If a man is lost for the sake of 
his friend it is well.” 

So they had each one seven ladu-cakes made 
for him, and each one took a gourd of water, and 
on the next day they set out. 

After they had gone a day’s journey Fila said 
to Lila, “ Bring out one of your ladus, that we 
may break and eat it. We will eat yours first, 
and when they are finished then will we eat 
mine.” 


ERZ 


PLA AND FUGA 


So they ate one of Lila’s ladus. On the second 
day they did likewise, and on the next and the 
next day, until, on the seventh day, all Lila’s ladus 
were finished. 

On the eighth day Lila said to Fila, “ Bring 
out one of your ladus, my friend, that we may 
break and eat it, for all mine are now finished, 
and hunger is hurting me.” 

Fila replied, “ You must give me that Kanzu 
shirt of yours first, and then I will give you a 
share of my ladu.” 

So Lila took off his Kanzu and gave it to Fila, 
and then Fila broke off a bit from one of his ladus 
and gave it to him. 

On the next day Lila said, “« My friend, I am 
hungry; bring out the second of your ladus, that 
we may eat it.” 

Fila replied, ‘‘’ To-day if I am to give you some 
of my ladu you must give me your vest.” 

So Lila took off his vest and gave it to Fila, and 
received a piece of ladu for it. 

On the next and the next day it was the same, 
till, on the twelfth day, Fila had taken away all 
Lila’s clothes. 

On the thirteenth day, when Lila asked for 


1 oe 4 I 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


some ladu, Fila said, ‘‘ You must let me put out 
one of your eyes if you are to have any ladu 
to-day.” 7 

Lila replied, “I cannot refuse, for I am very 
hungry.” 

So Fila put out one of his friend’s eyes, and 
Lila said nothing ; he put all his misfortunes in 
the hand of God. 

On the fourteenth day Lila said to Fila, “« My 
friend, have you not treated me evilly? Have 
you not done wrong? I left my mother to follow 
you, my friend, and you have deceived me. You 
have eaten my ladus till they were finished, and 
now you have taken all my clothes and put out 
my eye. Will you not to-day give me a piece 
of your ladu ? ” 

Fila said, ‘‘ Yes, I will give you a piece of ladu 
if you agree to me putting out your other eye.” 

Lila said to him, ‘Go on, put out my other 
eye. 

So Fila put out his other eye, and then he sat 
him down under a tree and put his gourd of water 
and a piece of ladu beside him and went his way, 
leaving his friend blind and naked in the road. 

Lila sat there awhile, and then he ate his piece 


114 


BILLA AND ELLA: 


of ladu, drank his water, gave praise to God and 
then slept. 

When it was midnight two birds came and 
perched on the tree, one on one side and one on 
the other. 

The first said, “Eh, my friend, I have a song 
which I will sing.” 

The other asked, ‘“ What song will you 
sing?” 

Then the first bird looked down and said, 
“Look, there is a human asleep underneath.” 

The other said, “Oh, that son of Adam is 
lying just where those j jars of money are buried ; 
just opposite him is the tree whose roots are 
medicine for mad people, and he is leaning 
against the eye medicine tree.” 

Then they flew away; but Lila heard these 
words, and he groped and took some of the 
bark of that tree and rubbed it on his eyes, and 
behold, he could see; both his eyes were whole. 

Then he went to the other tree and dug up 
some of the roots, and after that he dug down 
where he had been lying and found jars of 
money. He took a little money, and the rest 
he covered up and left. 


16 tes 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


Next day he took the road and journeyed on, 
and that day he arrived at a town, and there he 
heard the news that the daughter of the Sultan 
had been seized with madness. 

He was told, ‘‘ No one is allowed to come to 
this country unless he knows how to make 
medicine for the Sultan’s daughter. This is 
now the seventh year since she became mad, 
and the Sultan has made a vow that he who 
cures her will marry her, and he who does not 
cure her will be killed.” 

So Lila entered that town, and he was at once 
taken before the Sultan, who asked him, “ Can 
you cure my child ?” 

fie replied. <*Master.. I do> not know 
medicines, but I will try.” 

So he was taken in to the Sultan’s daughter 
through seven doors, and he saw her where she 
had been put. She was fastened with chains on 
hands and feet. 

He gave her of that medicine, and imme- 
diately she became cured. 

Then the Sultan ordered a feast to be pre- 
pared, and he married Lila to his daughter. He 
himself descended from the throne and put Lila 

116 


LILA AND: PIA 


in his place. So Lila became the Sultan of that 
town. 

One day, as he looked out of the palace 
window, he saw a man passing, and when he 
came near he recognised that it was his friend 
Fila. 

He told his soldiers to fetch him and bring 
him before him. 

When Fila was brought he said to him, “ My 
friend, do you not recognise me?” 

Fila replied, ‘‘ I do not know you.” 

Then Lila said, “Is it not I whose eyes you 
put out?” 

Then Fila was very afraid, and said, “ Then it 
is you who will now put out mine.” 

Lila ordered his soldiers, ‘‘ Take him out, put 
out his eyes and leave him in the way.” 

So they took him out and did as they were 
bid. After three days they went to look for 
him and found that he had died. 

Lila and Fila, it was not possible for them to 
mix together, and even to-day, if there are two 
people who cannot agree, or two things which 
cannot go together, it is said of them: “ They 
are like Lila and Fila.” 


117 


THE 
os. 





XVIII 


Lone ago there lived some hunters who one 
day took their bows and arrows and went with 
their dogs to hunt in the forest. 

And those hunters walked very far, looking 
for game, and they caught some animals, and 
then a very heavy rain fell upon them. So they 
looked for a place in which they could sit and 
take shelter until the rain was over, and they 
found a very big tree with a large hollow in it. 
Then those hunters and their dogs entered into 
that tree and sat down. Now that hole in the 
tree belonged to a large snake, and that snake 
had gone out to look for game. 

The snake hunted and did not find any game, 

118 





STORY OF HUNTERS AND SNAKE 


so it returned home hungry and annoyed. 
When it got near its hole it heard the voices 
of men talking in its house. 

That snake was very surprised, and said to 
itself, ““ Who can it be talking in my house ?” 
Then it said in a loud voice, “ Who speaks 
there in my house?” 

Those men inside were astonished, and asked 
one another, “Who can that be talking 
outside ?” 

Before they could answer, or look outside, the 
snake itself arrived at the entrance and blocked 
the way out. Then it said, “ What sort of 
people are you to come and sit in my house? 
This is my house in which I sit by myself. 
Answer me quickly what you mean by going 
intomit:.< 

Those men answered, ‘“ Please, sir, we have 
come from our village looking for game. We 
went very far and only caught some small 
animals, and then it rained very hard, so we 
came in here to escape the rain. We did not 
know that it was your house. Now we have 
nothing to say; we only ask your leave to go out. 
If you say ‘ go out’ we will go our way at Once. 


11g 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


The snake said, ‘“‘ You have no leave to go 
out.’ 

Then those men asked, ‘“‘ Then hak do you 
wish us to do?” 

The snake said, ‘“‘ What you must do is that 
you must at once give that game you have 
caught to your dogs to eat, that they may get 
fat. Then you must eat your dogs, so that you 
become very fat, and then I will eat you.’ 

Those men id “We are not able to eat 
dogflesh, master. If this is indeed your house, 
perhaps you will eat us. No matter, it is the 
will of Allah.” 

Whilst they were talking thus to that big 
snake an elephant-nosed shrew came out of the 
bush and heard them talking, and came near to 
the door of the snake’s house. 

Then he asked, “‘ What does this snake say ?” 

Those men said, “ This snake is standing in 
the doorway and preventing us from going out, 
and he tells us we must give our game to our 
dogs, and then eat our dogs, that he may eat us. 
This is because we came to sit in here to escape 
from the rain.’ 

The elephant-nosed shrew said, “‘ Agree to 

120 


STORY OF HUNTERS AND SNAKE 


what he says. When that snake has eaten you 
and become very fat I will eat him.” 

When that snake heard those words of the 
shrew it was very angry, and chased the shrew, 
and the shrew ran off into the bush, and the 
snake followed him very far, but did not catch 
him. 

Then those hunters were able to come forth 
from that hole and escape. So they went out 
very quickly and ran back to their village. 

When the snake came back to his house he 
found that those men had run away. It was 
indeed the elephant-nosed shrew who had saved 
them. 





Al oF RE 
CROOKED 
ARM = 

= Ea TRORADS =D) /- \, 





XIX 


Lone ago in olden days there was a country, 
and the Sultan of that country had seven wives 
and the Wazir also had seven wives. 

And the seven wives of the Sultan had seven 
children, and the seven wives of the Wazir had 
seven children, all boys. 

The seventh child of the Sultan had only one 
eye, but the seventh child of the Wazir was 
wondrously beautiful. They called him Ali ; but 
oh, misfortune, one arm was crooked. 

Now all these fourteen children were brought 

122 


ALI OF THE CROOKED ARM 
up together till, by the power of Allah, they 


grew up into youths. 

That seventh child of the Sultan, his com- 
panion was always Ali, the seventh child of the 
Wazir. 

So those children grew up, and they were sent 
to school until they finished learning. 

The Wazir’s seventh child said to his father, 
‘“Buy me a white horse;” and the Sultan’s 
seventh son said to his father, ‘‘ Buy me a white 
horse.” 

So each one hada white horse given him with 
fine trappings. 

Then one day the crier was sent forth to beat 
his horn and proclaim, ‘‘ On Friday there is a 
meeting at the Sultan’s. Every one must bring 
his horse. There will be racing between the 
Sultan’s son and the Wazir’s son.” 

So people came with their horses, and the 
Wazir’s son said, “I will go first,” and the Sul- 
tan’s son said, “I will go first,” till grown-up 
men said, “ Do not contend one against another 
like that.” 

So the Sultan’s son went first, and the Wazir’s 
son followed behind him. Then all who were 


123 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


present followed, every man on his horse, but 
the horses of the Wazir’s son and the Sultan’s son 
leaped and soared like kites, higher and higher. 

At half-past six o’clock they all returned 
safely. 

Next day Ali said to the Sultan’s son, “ Let us 
first go to the plantation, and remain in the 
garden till four o’clock, and then let us both go 
and play on horseback.” 

So they went into the garden at noon and 
gathered pomegranates and ate. 

The Sultan’s son said, “Let each one of us 
pluck a pomegranate and put it in his pocket.” 

So they each picked a pomegranate, but behold, 
in that one which Ali took was living the Jin of 
Jehan, who carries off children from year to year. 

After this they returned to the palace and 
found their horses already saddled. 

They mounted, and the Wazir’s son struck his 
horse with his whip, and it soared over the clouds 
like a kite. And the Sultan’s son followed his 
companion, his horse leaping. He saw his friend 
soaring and flying away in front till, as six 
o’clock struck, he saw him no more, so he re- 
turned weeping and in great distress. 


124 


ALI OF TILE CROOKED- ARM 


Ali flew away on his horse till he found him- 
self in the Jin’s house, and he lifted up his voice 
and cried, ‘‘ Alas, I am already lost.” 

That Jin sought a house, and told Ali, “ Put 
your horse in here and fasten it apart.” 

On the second day he said to him, “ Ali, do 
you see this big cooking-pot? Your work will 
be to keep up the fire under it.” 

On the third day the Jin gave into his hands 
all the keys of his house, seven in all, and he said 
to him, ‘‘ You may open this one room, but these 
other six you may not open.” 

The demon then set out to go and walk about, 
saying to Ali as he left, ‘“‘ To-day I am going out 
to walk, and to-morrow I will return. You are 
to look after this pot, but you must not lift the 
lid to see what is in it.” 

When the demon had gone Ali lifted up the 
lid to see what was in the pot, and he saw human 
flesh stewing. 

Then Ali said to himself, “Ah! My father, 
the demon, eats human flesh.” Then he thought, 
“<T, too, will be eaten. Whatever God wishes is 
best.”” As he thought he played with a knife in 
his hand and cut his finger. 

| 125 








jo 


a ACG ene 











ALI“OP “THE CROOKED: ARM 


In the evening the old demon returned and 
called out, “Hi, Ali!” and he answered him, 
‘* Here, father.” 

When he came to him the demon said, “* Oh 
dog, what have you done to your finger ?” 

Ali said, “ Father, why are you angry and 
speaking fiercely to me? I am afraid.” 

So the Jin said to him, “ Come now, undo 
your finger that I may see.” Then he touched 
it and healed it up. 

They slept that night, and in the morning the 
Jin said to him, “ Ali, I am going out to walk 
about for the space of fourteen days, and then I 
will return.” 

Ali said to him, “ Very good, father.” 

When the Jin had gone Ali sat and thought 
out different plans, and he said to himself, ““ My 
father, the demon, said that I must not open all 
the rooms, but to-day I will open them and see 
what is in them.” 

So he went and opened the first room, and saw 
an enormous horse, most wondrously beautiful. 

When the horse saw Ali he neighed, and said 
to him, “ What plan have you? Father said 
good-bye to you like that, saying that he would 


L27 


BLACK 'TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


return on the fourteenth day, to deceive you. 
He will come back to eat you on the eighth 
da 

ae he said, ‘Go and open all the rooms, 
and then return here that I may advise you.” 

Ali went and opened the second room, and saw 
seven maidens, sitting each one in a box and 
reading a Koran. Their hair was long and very 
beautiful. 

Ali asked them, “ How now? ” 

Those maidens answered him, ‘“ We have been 
put here so that we may be eaten together with 
you. We have been lost to our parents many 
years.” 

He locked that room and went and opened the 
third. ‘There he found swords with jewelled 
hilts fighting in the air by themselves, and he 
was very astonished. 

Ali locked up the third room again, and now 
there were three rooms he had not yet opened. 

He opened the fourth room, and found it filled 
from top to bottom with precious stones. Then 
he opened the fifth room, and found it full of 
grain ; this was the horse’s food. 

He then went and unlocked the sixth room, 


128 


ALI OF THE CROOKED ARM 


and there he found the horse’s saddle and bridle, 
adorned with jewels, and he found seven bottles ; 
the first was full of sun, the second of rain, the 
third of needles, the fourth of hail, the fifth of 
thorns, the sixth of mud, and the seventh of sea. 

Then he returned to the horse’s room, and 
when he saw Ali he neighed and shook his head. 

The horse said to Ali, ‘‘ We who are in this 
house are as if we were already dead ; we will all 
be eaten alike.” 

Then he said, “‘ Open the wheat store quickly, 
that I may eat, for the time is nearly spent when 
that evil-disposed Jin will return.” 

Ali went and brought a sack of grain and 
opened it, and the horse ate and said, “ Bring me 
a second sack, for I am not yet satisfied.” 

He brought a second, and the horse ate and 
finished it, and said, ‘“‘ Bring a third, for I am not 
yet full.” 

So he ate a third sack, and then he said, 
‘Bring a bucket of water, stir it up with sugar, 
for that is the kind of water that I drink, and 
mix me up another bucket with bhang.” 

Then he said, ‘‘ Now I am satisfied. Bring my 
saddle and the seven bottles, and take bags and 

129 K 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


fill them with precious stones and fasten them on 
quickly, that we may go.” 

So Ali put all the valuables in the house in 
bags, and he took those seven maidens and placed 
them in bags, and he saddled the horse and 
fastened those bags on to him. 

Then the horse said, “Strap me up tight and 
with all your strength.” 

So Ali strapped him up as tight as he could, 
till the horse said, “ Stop now ; mount me for a 
little to try me.” 

So Ali mounted and smacked him, and he 
soared up over the clouds. Then he returned 
and said, “ Now bring out another sack of grain, 
that I may eat and be satisfied.” 

So he gave him another sack, and then he 
said, ‘‘ Now fasten another sack of grain on to 
me, lest I grow hungry in the way.” 

So Ali fastened on a sack of grain, and then 
the horse said, “‘ Take a crow-bar and dig there 
in the floor of the house.” 

So Ali dug there and found more precious 
stones, and he put them in bags, and brought 
them and fastened them to the saddle. 

Then the horse said, “ Come on, Ali, mount 


130 


ALI OF THE CROOKED ARM 


me. Weare going now, and this advice I give 

you before we go. In the way we will meet 

with great strife, so listen well, and do as I tell 
ou. 

Then Ali mounted and smacked him, and the 
horse soared up over the clouds, higher and 
higher. 

When they had gone a little way they met 
the Jin and a host of his fellow demons, whom 
he had brought to feast on those eight people 
in his house. One was taking an axe to 
chop up the meat, others carried firewood and 
pots and water with which to cook the flesh. 

When those demons saw them they called 
out, “ Look, there is the flesh going off.” 

The horse said to Ali, “Take the bottle of 
sun and break it.” So Ali broke it, and the sun 
shone on the demons and scorched them. 

But they pursued them, crying, s Our meat is 
going away, our meat is going away.’ 

They ran after them, and as they came near 
the horse said, “‘ Break the bottle of rain.” So 
Ali broke the bottle and rain poured on them, 
but still they pursued. 

Ali looked round and said, “They are 


131 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


coming.” So the horse said, “ Break the bottle 
of needles.” 

Ali broke the bottle, and many got needles in 
their feet and could not run quickly, but many 
escaped and came on swiftly, crying, ‘“ Hi there ! 
Hi there ! our meat is escaping.” 

Then the horse said, ‘‘ Break the bottle of 
hail.” So Ali broke the bottle, and the hail 
poured down on them, and knocked many of 
them over, but they got up again and ran on. 

The horse said, ‘“‘ Break the bottle of thorns.” 
So Ali broke the bottle, and the thorns got in 
their feet and delayed many of them, but the 
rest came on. Ali called out, “There they 
come,” and the horse said, ‘‘ Break the bottle of 
mud.” 

So he broke the bottle, and the demons went 
slipping and falling about in the mud till they 
got across it, and still pursued them. 

Then the horse said, ‘“*‘ Break the bottle of 
sea.” So Ali broke the bottle, and the demons 
rushed into the sea, where many were drowned, 
and the rest were unable to cross and turned 
back. 

The horse flew across to the opposite side and 


132 





THE 
MONKEy- 
PropiE- 
OF THE 
FORESTS 






alighted, and said to Ali, 
‘“* Let us rest here now that 
we have crossed safely.” A¥ 

Then he said, “ Take 
out the sack of grain, for 
hunger is paining me.” 

So Ali gave him the 
grain, and he ate till he 
could eat no more, and he 
did not finish it, because he was 
so tired. 

Then he said, ‘‘ When we have 
nearly arrived, stand in the midst 
of the way, that I may give you 
advice.” , 

Ali replied to him, “ Very 
good, father.” 

After that they went on till 
they were nearly at their journey’s 
end, and then Ali stood still in 
the middle of the way, and the 
horse stood still and said to Ali, 


33 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


“The first counsel I give you, that you must 
take it to heart, is that when you arrive home 
you must speak to no one for the space of seven 
days. If you want to do anything, first ask me, 
that I may advise you whether to do it or not ; 
and if you want to marry a wife and place her 
in your house, you must first ask me. 

“And if, when you arrive home, you want to 
walk abroad, you must first ask me, for I know 
all things great and small. If you walk out 
without telling me, that Jin of Jehan will take 
you ; you will return home no more.” 

Ali replied, “It is well, father ; I have heard.” 

Then they journeyed on and went their way. 

At three o’clock the people of that town saw 
a dust coming. 

There in the Wazir’s house the Wazir himself 
was on the roof looking out, and his middle son 
was there with him upstairs ; he and his father 
were looking out at that road by which Ali had 
been lost to them. 3 

That Wazir, his hair covered his face, as he 
had not cut it, and he could not see for weeping 
for his son. 


Then the people of that town saw a won- 
134 


ALI OF THE CROOKED ARM 


drously big horse soaring and soaring like a 
kite. 

Ali entered the town, but he spoke to no 
one. 

The door of his house had been left open since 
the day he had set out, and he passed in, he and 
the horse, but he spoke to no one, and there 
were great rejoicings at his return. 

Ali stayed for the space of seven days, neither 
speaking to any one, nor drinking water, nor 
bathing, for fear of being bewitched by that Jin. 
If he wanted food it was the horse who brought 
it to him, and if he wanted water it was the 
horse who gave it to him. 

When the eighth day came there was a big 
festival at the Wazir’s and at the Sultan’s, for 
the child who had been dead was alive, he who 
had been lost to sight was restored to view. 

If Ali wanted to walk out it was necessary for 
him first to take counsel of the horse. On the 
tenth day Ali brought all his riches downstairs 
and filled ninety-nine store-rooms full. 

So Ali lived, he did not, marry nor did he 
want a wife, and those seven sisters of his, whom 
he had brought away from amongst the Jins, 


135 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


they did not marry, but they read their Korans 
night and day. | 

He built a house of seven storeys, and, in this 
house he put his seven sisters who had come 
with him from the Jins. 


This is the end of the fable. 





£.AFRicA. 


TEEDING THE HUNGRY 


XX 
THERE was once upon a time a man, and he 
took an axe and went into the forest to look for 
honey. “He tound. a. bees’ 
nest in a tree, so he climbed 





Caracal, tO get at the honey. 

Whilst he was in the tree 
a second man came up; he 
was a hunter, and he had 
been looking for game, but 
had found none. When the 
hunter saw that man in the 
tree he asked him, ‘“* What 
are you cutting?” 

The man replied, “I am looking for honey. 
If you want any, sit down there and wait for it.” 





up and began to cut a hole, 








BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


So the hunter sat down, and presently a buffalo 
came up and, seeing the man in the tree, asked, 
“* What are you doing ?” 





The Gennet. 


He replied, “I am looking for 
honey. If you want any, sit down 
there beside the hunter.” 

So the buffalo sat down, and 
presently a lion came up, and he, 
too,asked what the man was doing, 
and the man told him to sit down 
on one side and wait. 

Presently an eland came along 
and asked the man what he was 
doing in the tree. He answered, 
“IT am looking for honey. If 
you want any, sit down there by 
the lion and wait for it.” 

So the eland sat down, and 
presently a leopard came along, 


and he also the man told to sit on one side and 
wait for the honey. 

Then came up a bushbuck, and the man told 
him to sit down by the leopard and wait. 

Then a gennet came up and asked the man 
what he was doing. The man replied, “I am 


138 


FEEDING THE HUNGRY 


looking for honey. If you want any, sit over 
there by yourself and wait for it.” 

So the gennet sat down and waited, and 
presently a guinea fowl came along and asked 
the man what he was doing. The man said, “I 
am looking for honey. If you want any, sit 
down by the gennet and wait for it.” 

After that the man went on cutting the tree, 
and at last made a hole and looked in, and he 
found that there was no honey in the nest. 

All those sitting round asked him, “ When 
are you going to give us our honey ?” 

The man said, “There is no honey in this 
nest, but there is no need for you to go hungry. 
If you are fools it is your own faults.” 

Then that hunter turned and killed the 
buffalo, and the lion seized the eland, and the 
leopard caught the bushbuck, and the gennet got 
the chicken. 

So they were very glad, and said to that man, 


“You have done very wisely to-day.” 
That is all. 


+39 


XXI 
SHANI AND TABAK 


THIs is a story about a woman and man who 
were of like wisdom, and so were suited to each 
other. 

Now the beginning of this history is what I 
will now write. A certain stranger said to his 
parents, ““I am going to journey forth to look 
for a woman of like wit to myself. If I find her 
I will marry her, but if I do not find her I will 
return.” 

So that man set out, and when he got outside 
the town he met another man walking. Now 
this man was the Wali of the town to which 
he was going, but he did not know that. The 
Wali called to him, “ Wait for me; as we are 
going the same way let us walk together.” 
That stranger agreed, and both walked together. 
After they had gone about twenty paces he said 
to the Wali, “ Will you carry me, or shall I 
carry you?” The Wali did not answer him, 


140 























BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


for he thought, “ For what reason should he 
carry me or I carry him, when each one has 
his own legs?” 

They walked on some way, till they arrived 
at some cultivation. Then the stranger asked, 
““That millet there, has it been harvested yet 
or not?” 

Now that millet was standing in the stalk 
with the ears there on them. 

The Wali thought, ‘‘ Surely this man is a fool 
or blind. How can he ask if this millet has 
been harvested, and there it is standing?” So 
he did not reply. 

As they came near the town to which they 
were going they met a funeral coming forth, 
on its way to the cemetery. 

The stranger asked, “Is that man in the bier 
dead, or is he still alive?” 

The Wali thought, “Surely his foolishness is 
increasing.” So he did not reply. 

So they entered the town, and the Wali went 
to his house, whilst the other went to the mosque, 
for he was a stranger,and knew no one in that 
town with whom he might stay. 

The Wali, after he had arrived at his house, 


142 


SHANI AND TABAK 


rested awhile, and then said to his wife, “I met 
a stranger coming here, and I walked with 
him as far as the town, but that man was a fool, 
he had no wit; his folly increased at every 
stage of the journey.” Then he told her the 
words of that man. 

‘The Wali’s daughter, who was present, said to 
him, “‘ My father, you made a mistake leaving 
that man, you should have brought him here, for 
he is a man of great understanding.” 

The father said, ‘‘ For what reason,my daughter, 
and his words were as of a madman or a fool?” 

His daughter said, “ Listen to me and I will 
explain to you the meaning of his words from 
first to last. 

“The first words which he said to you, were 
they not, ‘ Will you carry me, or must I carry 
you ?’ 

‘“‘ His meaning was as if he said to you, ‘ You, 
will you tell me a story, or shall I tell you one, 
that we may be beguiled in the way, and that 
we may not perceive the length of the journey ?’ 
That was what he meant by ‘Shall I carry you, 


or will you carry me?’ 
«His next words were, ‘ Has this millet been 


143 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 





I 


harvested or not yet harvested ?’ 
His meaning was, ‘ Has the owner 
of that millet planted or cultivated 
his field without having to bor- 
row money to do so? If he has 
had to borrow the wherewithal 
with which to cultivate, surely he 
has already harvested his field, for 
he has to pay away his profit.’ 

“‘ Lastly, when he saw the bier 
and asked, ‘Is that man dead or 
alive ?’ he meant, ‘ Has that man 
any children? If he has left a 
child he is alive although he is 
dead, for his name is still there. 
If he has no child he himself is 
dead, and his name also is dead.’ 

‘““Those were the meanings of 
his words, so, father, you did 
wrong to let him go away by 
himself to the mosque.” 

But her father, the Wali, would 
not believe that, and said, ‘‘ No, 
he is only a fool, and his words 
have no meaning.” 


144 


SHANI AND TABAK 


Then his daughter said to him, “ Wait, I will 
show you that my words are true, and that this 
is a man of great wisdom.” 

Then she took a large round. loaf, and she 
prepared a fowl, and put all over it chopped 
eggs, and poured out a jug brimful of sweetened 
milk. She gave these to a slave girl and said 
to her, “Take these, and bear them to the 
stranger in the mosque, and say to him, ‘ My 
mistress greets you, and sends you word that 
the moon is full, the tides are spring tides, and 
that there are many stars in the heavens.’ ” 

So the slave came to the mosque, and the 
stranger ate, and when he had finished he gave 
back the plates and said to her, “Give your 
mistress my greetings, and tell her that the day 
is the thirteenth of the lunar month, and that 
the tides are neap tides, and that the stars are 
only one by one in the heavens.” 

The slave returned and gave her mistress the 
stranger’s message. 

Then the girl said to her father, “This slave 
girl has thieved, she has broken off a piece of 
the bread, taken some of the eggs, and drunk 
some of the milk.” 


145 : 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


Next day she sent another slave girl with 
food, as before, and gave her the same message. 
The stranger. answered as at first. 

Then the girl said to her father, ‘“‘ This slave 
has also stolen some of the food like the first 
one did.” 

On the third day she sent some food, as before, 
and the same message with another slave girl. 

This time the stranger sent back the message, 
“To-day the moon is full, the tides are spring 
tides, and there are many stars in the heavens.” 

So she said to her father, “This one has not 
stolen.” 

Her father asked her, “ How do you know, 
my daughter ?” 

She replied, “‘ The meaning of the moon being 
full was that the big round bread was whole. 
When the stranger replied that the day was the 
thirteenth I knew that a piece of the bread was 
gone, and that it was as the moon is on the 
thirteenth day of the lunar month. The mean- 
ing of the many stars in the heavens was that 
_ the dish was covered with pieces of chopped 
egg. When he told me that the stars were 
only one by one in the heavens, I knew that 

146 


SHANI AND TABAK 


some of the food had been taken, but when 
he said that there were many stars, I knew 
that the food was covered all over with the egg, 
and so that the chicken underneath was safe. 

‘“‘The meaning of the tides being spring tides 
was that the jug was brimful of milk; but 
when he sent word that the tides were neap 
tides, I knew that some of the milk had been 
taken. So you see, my father, that this stranger 
is a man of wisdom.” 

Then the Wali was very sorry that he had 
not understood the stranger’s words, and that 
he had not asked him to his house. So he 
went straightway to the mosque to look for 
him, and when he had found him he brought 
him home again and gave him food, and asked 
his pardon, saying, “I did not at first understand 
your words, now I know their meaning.” 

The stranger said to him, “ How is it that now 
you know ?” 

The Wali replied, “‘ There in the road I was 
suffering from the length of the journey and 
fatigue from the heat of the sun. After I had 
rested, and been fanned by the cool breeze in my 
house, I came to understand.” 


147 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


The stranger said, ‘Tell me then.” 

So the Wali told him the meaning, and the 
stranger then said, “Tell me truly, who was it 
who told you the meaning of my words?” and 
he pressed him much, till at last the Wali said, 
“Tt was my daughter who told me.” 

Then the stranger said, “That daughter of 
yours is my desire, she is the one whom I would 
wish to put in my house. I have been looking 
for a person like this your daughter, and now I 
have found her, ask of me anything, that I may 
give it you, that you may marry me to her ; for 
I will have no life if I do not get a wife like 

that. 
The father said, “I must go and consult with 
my child herself.” 

The stranger replied, “'That is well, go and 
consult her, but what she answers tell me truly, 
do not hide it from me.” 

So the Wali went to his daughter and gave 
her all the news from first to last. Then he 
said, ““ Now, my daughter, the counsel and the 
choice are yours alone.” 

She answered him, “And I, if I do not get 
a husband like that, I want no other, and will 


148 


SHANI AND TABAK 


choose to remain unmarried until I die. For 
if I do not get a husband like that, to me 
there is no advantage; it will be like two women 
marrying one another.” 

So the Wali went and gave her answer to 
the stranger, and he rejoiced greatly, for he 
had got his desire. 

So her father married her to him, and this 
is the end of the story. 

Now Shani was the name of that stranger, 
and Tabak was the name of that woman who 
became his wife. Even now there are those 
who talk of Shani and Tabak, meaning some 
one obtaining his heart’s desire, as Shani got 
Tabak, or who use these names for two people 
who are exactly suited to one another, as Shani 
was to Tabak. 


149 





"HE TRIED 





ALL DAY TO € 
DRIVE AWAY THE wind ” 
— or 


Ay MAN & AIS MOTHER: I> LAW. 


XXII 


THERE was once a man, and he went and 
married a girl and went to live with her in her 
village. 

One day that girl’s mother came to him and 
said, ‘“‘ My son-in-law, I want you to do some- 
thing for me. See, all my maize is being broken 
by the wind. You must go out and drive away 
the wind for me, so that it does not break my 
maize.” 

So that son-in-law went out into the fields and 
tried all day to drive away the wind, but he was 
unable to ; the wind got the better of him, and 
in the evening he returned discomforted. 


150 


A MAN AND HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW 


Then he thought to himself, “ My mother-in- 
law is a very bad person. Who would try to 
drive away the wind? It is not possible. Now 
I will find something that she is unable to do, 
and tell her to do it, so that she also will be 
discomforted.” 

So he went out into the bush and killed an 
animal and brought it back to the village. 
Then he called his wife and said to her, “'Take 
this meat and give it to your mother, and tell 
her to cook and eat all the meat, but that she is 
to keep the gravy for me, and that she must. 
spread out the gravy on the matting, so as to be 
ready for me.” . 

So that girl brought the meat to her mother 
and gave her the message. The mother-in-law 
then cooked and ate the meat, but left the gravy. 
Then she took it and tried to spread it out on the 
matting for her son-in-law, but it ran through. 

Then that girl came and told her husband, 
“That gravy is not spreadable. Mamma has 
tried to spread it out on the mat for you, but it 
has all run through.” 

Her husband answered her, ‘“‘ Your mother is 
a very bad person. One day she told me to 


rea 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


drive away the wind from the maize, and I tried 
all day, and it was not possible. So I, too, wished 
to tell your mother to do something that was not 
possible ; so I told her to spread out the gravy 
on themat. I knew that she would be defeated, 
even as I was defeated.” 


re 


TRIE. JACKAL 
y \OTREHARIE ASD THE 












Si a 



































OL: 


ONcE upon a time there was a hare who was 
cunning with great guile. That hare went to 
the jackal and said, “I want to make friends 
with you, jackal. Our friendship will be that we 
walk about together and agree in every matter. 
Everything that I do you must do also, and 
everything that you do I must also do.” 

When the jackal heard those words of the 
hare he was very pleased, and he thought, “This 
will be very good to have the hare for a brother, 
for he is very clever.” 


rs3 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


So the jackal agreed to make friends with the 
hare, and they walked about together. Till one 
day the hare said to the jackal, “To-day, my 
brother, we will each take a knife and a spear, 
and we will go and kill our mothers. I will 
go and kill mine, and you, jackal, must go and 
kill yours.” 

So they each took a spear and a knife and 
went their ways to kill their mothers. The 
hare went to his mother and took her and hid 
her in a cave. Then he went to a tree which is 
called Mtumbati and smeared his knife and spear 
with the sap of that tree, which is red. Then 
he returned to the place at which he had agreed 
to meet the jackal. 

Now the jackal was very grieved when he 
was told that he must kill his mother, and being 
without guile he said to himself, “I will stay 
away for a little while, and then say to my 
brother, the hare, that I have killed my mother.” 

So he went off, and returned again to the 
place of meeting, and there met the hare. The 
hare asked him, “ Have you killed your mother, 
my brother ?” 

The jackal said, “‘ Yes, I have killed her.” 


154 


THE JACKAL HARE. AND COCK 


So the hare said, “‘ Let me look at your spear 
and knife. See, here are mine, and you can see 
that I have killed my mother, truly.” 

Then was the jackal ashamed, and the hare said 
to him, “ Oh, my brother, you have deceived me. 
We agreed that each one must do as the other, 
and now I have gone and killed my mother, and 
you have not done likewise. We must both 
go and kill your mother, so that we may both be 
without our mothers.” 

So they went and killed the jackal’s mother, 
and the jackal was very sorry. 

After that the hare said to the jackal, ““ Now, 
my brother, we must eat nothing but insects.” 
So they went about the forest trying to catch 
insects to eat, but when the jackal slept the 
hare used to run into that cave where he had 
hidden his mother, and she fed him. 

The jackal lived with the hare, trying to catch 
enough insects to eat, and he grew thinner and 
thinner, till at last he died. 

Now when all the animals heard how the 
hare had deceived the jackal, and made him kill 
his mother, and how he had made him live on 
nothing but insects till he died, they were very 


155 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


angry with the hare. Then they held a meeting, 
and it was asked, ‘“‘ Who is a match for the hare 
in cunning ?” 

The cock said, “I am; I am able to deceive 
the hare and kill him.” 

All those animals said to the cock, “ You, 
cock, are not the equal of the hare. What sort 
of cunning have you to match yourself against 
the hare?” 

The cock replied, “I know very well that I 
can get the better of the hare. Now I am going 
off to see him, and you will all hear the news of 
what has passed between the hare and me very 
soon.” 

So the cock set forth and went to see the hare. 

The hare asked him, “ How is it that you 
have never before walked out to our house here? 
To-day is the first time that I have seen you, oh 
cock.” 

The cock answered, “ Your words are true. 
I have never yet walked as far as your house. 
To-day I have come to ask your friendship, for 
I have no friend. That is why I want your 
friendship. We will get on very well together, 
and now I am going to return home. I will 


156 


THE: JACKAL, HARE. AND. COCK 


prepare food for you, and to-morrow you 
must come and see me and we will have a 
talk” 

The hare replied, “ It is well. To-morrow, 
if Allah pleases, I will come to your house.” 

The cock then returned home and told 
his wives, ‘“‘'To-morrow my friend the hare 
is coming, so get food ready for him. When 
the hare comes I will sit in the courtyard 
and hide my head under my wing. Serve 
up food to the hare, and when he asks, 
‘Where is my friend the cock?’ show him 
his friend and say, ‘There is his body lying 
in the courtyard, but he has sent his head 
away to have audience of the Sultan, and to 
speak his cases for him.’ ‘Tell the hare like 
that.” 

So next day, when the hare came and 
asked for his friend the cock, the cock’s 
wives took him, and showed him the cock 
where he was lying with his head under his 
wing, and they told him, as they had been 








AFRICAN 
BLACK-BACKED 
JACKALS 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


taught, that his head had gone away to speak 
his cases for him before the Sultan. Then they 
took him on to the verandah and bade him sit 
down and await his friend and eat the food that 
was ready for him. 

That hare was very astonished, and said to 
himself, “My friend the cock must indeed be 
strong if he can send his head by itself all the 
way to the Sultan’s, to speak his cases alone 
without a body.” 

They set much food before the hare, and he 
ate there in the verandah. Presently the cock 
came round the corner and said to the hare, 
“‘Oh, my friend, I am indeed sorry that I was 
not here to greet you, but I had to send my head 
away to speak of some very important matter to 
the Sultan.” 

The hare said, “It is well, my friend. I saw 
your body lying out there in the courtyard, and 
now that your head has returned it is indeed 
well.” 

Shortly after that the hare took leave of the 
cock, and said to him, “I am now going home, and 
to-morrow you must come and eat with me.” 

The cock agreed, and the hare went off. 

, 158 


THE JACKAL, HARE, AND COCK 


When he arrived at his house he said to his 
wives, ‘‘ Prepare food, for to-morrow my friend 
the cock comes to see me.” So they prepared 
food for the cock, and next day the hare said to 
them, ‘“ My friend the cock is very strong, he 
can send his head all alone to the Sultan’s. Now 
I want you, my wives, to cut off my head and put 
it on one side, and when the cock comes show 
him my body, and tell him that I have also im- 
portant cases at the Sultan’s, and have sent my 
head off to see to them.” 

His wives said, “ You will certainly die, our 
husband.” 

The hare said, ‘“‘ Why shall I die? My friend 
the cock cuts off his head, and he does not die, so 
why should I? You must cut off my head, and 
after the cock has sat down and begun to eat 
you must put it on again, so that I may come 
and talk to him.” 

His wives refused, but he pressed them much, 
till at last they agreed and cut off his head. 
When the cock came and. asked after the hare 
they took him and showed him the hare’s body, 
and told him as they had been taught. When 
the cock looked at the hare’s body he saw that 


to 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


his head had really been cut off, so he said to 
those wives of the hare, “I am not able to wait 
for your food, for to-day in your house there is 
a great mourning, and it is I who have deceived 
the hare; so now I am going home. Your 
husband is not able to rise again, for he is dead. 
Good-bye.” 

The cock went forth, and went his way to 
give the news to all the animals who had 
laughed at him, and said to him, ‘‘ You. have 
no sort of guile maith which to deeee the hare.” 

When the animals heard the news of how the 
cock had deceived the hare, and when ae 
heard that there was mourning in the °* 
house of the hare, they said, ‘“ Truly 
the words of the Sock are true; he has VB 


great cunning, even more than the wa 


be fy y one, ee 
. nS ae EI 


ull, va 


a \eo 


AFRicaNn 
FLYING 
SQuImREL 


XXIV 
THE MAGIC DATE TREES 


ONCE upon atime there was a man, and he 
married a wife and had two sons. 

After many days 
his wife died, and 
the man _ stayed 
awhile, and then he 
married again. 

Those two sons \ 
grew up, till at last 
their father died. ), “@Y | 

So their step- JM @ « Cj ty 4/4444) 
mother turned them Ws Lay 
out of the house V/, 
and they travelled cae , - 
away. 

Now they were very poor, and had no money, 
nor had they any food. 

So they travelled on, and by day they journeyed 
and ate of the fruits of the forest, and at night 

161 M 





BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


they climbed into a tree and slept there, for fear 
of the wild beasts of the jungle. 

Till after many days they arrived at a town, 
and when they came there the elder brother 
said to the younger, “‘ You, my brother, sit here 
outside the town while I go in and beg for 
food.” 

Now it so perchanced that the chief of that 
town had just died and he left no son. So the 
people of that place had gone to the astrologers 
and soothsayers and had asked them, “ How 
shall we choose another chief ?”’ 

The astrologers had answered them, “ Let 
there be a meeting of all the people of the town, 
and let a lime be thrown into their midst. He 
on whom this lime shall fall, take him and make 
him your chief.” 

Now when the elder of the two brothers 
entered the town he found all the people of that 
place assembled in the centre of that town. 

As he drew near to this congregation a lime 
hit him on the head, and all the people turned 
and, rushing at him, seized him and placed him 
in their midst. 

So he was greatly afeared. 

162 


THE MAGIC DATE: TREES 


They took him, crying out, “This is our 
chief !” and they carried him to the palace amidst 
general acclamation. 

So he sat there as chief of that town and 
during that day and the next he was afraid to 
say that he had a brother outside the town 
awaiting for his return. 

On the third day he sent soldiers to look for 
him, but they found him not, for when he per- 
ceived that his brother did not return he was 
afraid and went away. 

So the elder brother remained as chief of that 
place for many months, and he sat with sorrow 
for the thought of his brother. 

Till one day he looked out of the window and 
saw below in the street a poor man selling mats, 
and when he beheld him he recognised him as 
his brother. : 

So he sent out soldiers to bring him into the 
palace. 

When the younger brother saw the soldiers, 
and was told that the chief of the town had sent 
for him, he feared exceedingly. 

He was brought into the palace, and his 
brother was very joyful to see him again, and he 


163 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


honoured him greatly, and made him as his 
Wazir. 

So after that they lived together, and they 
ordered the affairs of that town, and grew very 
prosperous. 

Now when the chief of that town had grown 
very rich he looked upon a certain woman and 
beheld her very beautiful, and desired much to 
take her for his wife. 

Outside the town there was a creek, and over 
this creek ran a bridge, but at low tide there 
was no water under the bridge. 

The woman said to him, “ Not till you pile 
up wealth from the ground below the bridge up 
to its top, and give it all to me as my marriage 
portion, will I marry you.” 

So the chief collected all his wealth and piled 
it up from beneath the bridge, and, when he had 
exhausted all his property, it just reached level 
with the top of the bridge. 

So that woman said to him, “Give me a 
respite of four hours and then will I marry 

ou.” 
: So she went away, and she prepared a dish of 
chicken and eggs and curry, and with it she 
164 


THE MAGIC DATE TREES 


mixed opium and Indian hemp, and she sent it 
to him as he was awaiting her. 

He ate of this dish, and he lost consciousness 
from the strength of the opium and Indian hemp. 

Then she came with her slaves, and some of 
them she ordered to take him out to sea ina 
boat and cast him away, while the remainder 
took all the wealth of the chief and put it in her 
house. 

So those slaves took him and, putting him in 
a boat, rowed him far out to sea and cast him in. 

Now it so happened that he was washed on to 
a shoal, and when he recovered his senses he 
found himself sitting on a sandspit. 

He gazed all round him, and could see no land 
in any direction. 

Then he looked behind him and saw that the 
sandspit came from a small island, and on this 
island were two date trees. | 

He came to the first tree, and he saw that 
there were growing dates on it, but they were as 
yet unripe. 

As he felt the pangs of hunger he plucked a 
date from this tree and ate it; immediately 
there grew out of his mouth two large tusks of 


165 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


ivory. ‘These were so heavy in his mouth that 
he could hardly stand. 

On the second tree he perceived that there 
were also dates and that these were ripe. 

He thought to himself, “‘ Here I am without 
food, and there is no land in sight. I will most 
certainly die of hunger and thirst, and now, in 
addition to all my troubles, I have two tusks 
growing from my mouth, and they are of such a 
weight that I can scarcely move. Perhaps if I 
eat of this second tree I will die, and then my 
troubles will be at an end.” 

So he plucked a date from the second tree and 
ate it. Immediately he had eaten it his tusks 
dropped off on to the ground. 

At that moment there appeared a shark who 
was swimming past in the sea, and the shark 
stopped and asked him what he was doing. 

He told him how he had found himself cast 
on this island, and asked the shark to take him 
to the shore. The shark refused, saying, “‘ You 
are my enemy, and it is you sons of men who 
kill and eat me.” 

So he said to the shark, ““I am the Sultan of 
such and such a town, and if you carry me away 

166 









































At that moment there appeared a shark. 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN | 


from this island I will give an order that the 
fishermen of the town kill no more sharks.” 

So they made an agreement after this manner, 
and the shark consented to take him on his back. 

Then the man plaited two small baskets of 
date leaves, and the one he filled with dates from 
the first tree, and the other he filled with dates 
from the second. 

Then he took his two baskets and climbed on 
to the shark’s back, and the shark carried him 
till they arrived in sight of the shore. 

Then the shark said to him, “I am afraid to 
go any nearer the shore, for if the sons of men 
see me they will kill me.” 

So he called a Tewa fish and asked him to 
take the chief the remaining distance to the 
shore. But the Tewa fish said to him, “ You 
are one of the sons of men, and you are our 
enemies, for it is you who kill and eat us.” 

So the man made a compact with the Tewa 
fish, that if he carried him safely to the shore 
he would give out an order to the fishermen 
making it unlawful to kill Tewa fish. 

So the Tewa agreed, and he climbed on to his 
back and was brought safely to the shore. 


168 


THE MAGIC. DATE TREES 


When he arrived he got off the Tewa’s back 
and, taking his two little baskets, came to his 
brother’s house. 

Now there was no more wealth left to him, 
for all his property he had given that woman. 

He said to himself, “ Let me try now and see 
if these dates will do the same to others as they 
did to me.” 

So he took the basket of unripe dates and gave 
one to every one in the house, and behold, they 
all grew tusks of great size. 

All of them were then very angry with him, 
but he took the second basket, and when each 
had eaten one of the dates their tusks dropped 
off. 

Then he called a slave of the household and 
gave him dates of the first basket and told him, 
““ Go and hawk these dates in the town, but you 
must only sell to such and such a person,” and 
he told him the name of the woman whom he 
had wished to marry, and who had all his 
property. 

That woman was now exceedingly rich, and 
she had all his wealth and all the properties and 
plantations of the town in her possession. 

169 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


Now as the slave passed her house she was 
looking out, with her head outside the window ; 
and she called the slave and asked what he was 
selling. 

He replied, “‘ I am selling these dates,” and he 
offered her one, and handed it up for her to taste. 

So she took it and ate it there as she was lean- 
ing out of the window, and immediately there 
grew from her mouth two tusks of such size 
that she was unable to withdraw her head from 
the window. 

So she remained there all that night, and on 
the next day she sent acrier round the town 
saying, ‘‘ Who will deliver me from here, where 
I am fixed, I shall give him a great reward.” 

On the next day she was still in the window, 
and she sent a crier round the town to say, 
“Who will deliver me, I shall marry him and 
give him half my property.” 

On the third day she was still stuck there, and 
on this day she sent a crier round to say, ‘““ Who 
will deliver me to-day I shall give him all my 
property and I shall become his slave.” 

The chief sent round a slave to say, “I want 
a signed document to this effect.” 


170 


THE MAGIC DATE TREES 


So the woman wrote and signed the document 
as required, while she was still fixed there in the 
window, and it was taken to the chief. 

Then he came there and gave her a date of the 
second basket, and immediately the tusks dropped 
off and she was freed. 

So the chief received back all his wealth and 
property, and he lived in happiness and pros- 
perity, he and his brother, while the woman 
became his slave. 


71 





PAKA He CAT 


XXV 


Tuis is the story of Paka 
the cat. 

If there are three or 
four men walking along 
ty and only one woman, the 

‘ cat will turn aside from 

the men and follow the 
woman. 

Now the reason for this 
is the story I am telling 
you. 

In the beginning Paka 
sat in the bush, till one day she felt the pain 
of hunger. 

So she came down to the shore, and there she 
met a serval, who was hunting the crabs of the 
shore. So Paka went up to the serval and said, 
“*Good morning.” 

And the serval said, “‘ Who are you?” 

“Jt is [—Paka.” 

“ What do you want ?” 


172 


PAKA THE CAT 


“T want to follow you about and so get 
food.” 


So the serval said, “Very good then. Here, 
eat these crabs.” 

So Paka ate of the crabs, and she followed the 
serval many days. 

Till one day there came a leopard and fought 
with the serval and killed him. 

So Paka thought in her heart, “‘ Now, this 
one was not a manly one: he who is the man is 
the leopard.” So Paka went up to the leopard 
and saluted him, “Good morning.” 

So the leopard said, ‘“« And who are you?” 

“ Tt is I—Paka.” 

‘What do you want?” 

“IT want to follow you about and get food.” 

So the leopard said, “ Very good. Here, eat 
of this serval.” 

So Paka followed the leopard many days and 
many weeks. 

Till one day came a lion, and he fell on the 
leopard and killed him. 

So Paka thought in her heart, “ Now, this 
one also was not a manly one: he who is the 
man is the lion.” 


173 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


So she went to the lion and said, ‘“ Good 
morning.” 

And the lion said, “Who are you?” 

“Tt is I—Paka.” 

“* What do you want?” 

So Paka said, “I want to follow you about 
that you may give me food.” 

So the lion said, “‘ Then eat of this leopard.” 

So Paka ate of the leopard, and she followed 
the lion for many weeks and many months, 
till one day there came an elephant. 

And the elephant came and struck the lion with 
his trunk, and the lion died. 

So Paka said in her heart, “‘ Now, this one, 
too, was not a manly one: he who is the man 
is the elephant.” 

So Paka went and greeted the elephant, 
“Good morning.” 

The elephant said, “‘ And who are you?” 





PAKA THE CAT 


“Tt is I—Paka.” 

** What do you want ?” 

“T want to follow you about, that you may 
give me food.” 

So the elephant said, “ Then eat of this lion.” 

So Paka ate of the lion, and she followed the 
elephant for many months and many days. 

_ Till one day came a man; and that son of 
Adam came and he took his matchlock and 
fired. 

And he hit the elephant, and the elephant ran 
away. 

After running a long way he fell down, and 
that son of Adam came and he fired again and 
again, until the elephant was finished and he died. 

Now Paka said, ‘“ Behold, he also was not a 
manly one: he who is the man is the son of 
Adam.” 

So Paka went up and saluted him, saying, 
** Good morning.” 

And the man said, ‘© Who are you?” 

“Tt is [—Paka.” 

“‘ What do you want?” 

“TI want to follow you about, that you.may 
give me food.” ‘ 


175 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


So the man said, “‘ Then eat of the elephant.” 

So Paka stayed with the man and ate of the 
elephant, while he was cutting out the tusks. 

When the man had finished cutting out the 
tusks he wended his way home, and came to his 
village. 

Now that man had two wives, and the one he 
loved and the other he loved not. 

So he came first to the house of her whom 
he loved not, that he might stay a short time, 
and go to the house of her whom he loved. 

So he came there and greeted the wife whom 
he loved not, and straightway went on to the 
house of her whom he loved. 

When he had come there he said to her, 
“Oh, my wife whom I love, I have done this 
on purpose. 

“T came first to the house of the other one, 
that I might come straightway to you whom I 
love, and remain with you a long time.” 

Now the woman was angry, in that he had 
gone first to the house of the other, and she said 
to him, “ What you say is false!” 

So she came up to him and struck him— 
pah ! 

176 


PAKA THE -CAF 


That man did not do anything; he turned 
round and left the hut. 

Then thought Paka, “« Now, even this one is 
not the manly one. Why does he go away? 
He who is the man is the woman.” 

So she went up to the woman and said to her, 
““Good morning.” 

The woman said, “‘ And who are you?” 

“Tt is [—Paka.” 

‘“< What do you want?” 

“T want to follow you about, that you may 
give me food.” 

So the woman said to her, “ Very good. Sit 
here in my house.” 

Now this is the story of Paka the cat, which 
comes from long ago, and this is the reason why 
a cat will leave a man and follow a woman. 


Lei 


XXVI 


THE TALE OF THE*MERCHANT 
AND HIS BAG OF GOLD 


Once upon a time there was a merchant, and 
he resolved to go on a journey to a far country 
to trade, that he might return with profit. 

Now this merchant took money needful for 
his journey, and of what he had left he was 
afraid that in his absence it might be stolen. 

So he thought to himself, “ If I leave this bag 
of gold in my house it may be stolen, and if I 
give it to a friend to keep for me he may use it 
for his own purposes.” 

So he bethought himself of a stratagem. 

He poured all his gold into the bottom of a 
large leather skin. When he had done this he 
took oil of coco-nuts and filled the skin with it 
and fastened it securely at the mouth. 

Then he took the skin of oil to a neighbour, 
who was a friend of his, and said to him, ‘‘ Oh, 
my friend, I have resolved to go on a journey, 


178 





BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


and wish to leave this skin of coco-nut oil with 
you. Will you keep it safely for me, that I may 
find it on my return ?” 

So the friend agreed, and he set out on his 
journey, and he journeyed to a very far country. 

So the friend kept the skin of coco-nut oil for 
the first year and for the second year. 

In the third year, however, he said to himself, 
“Surely my friend has met with some evil 
happening on his journey and will come back 
no more. It were better, then, that I open this 
skin and use the oil therein.” 

So he opened the skin and used the oil for 
many months, till one day, when he had nearly 
emptied the skin, he perceived that there was 
some matter other than oil in the skin. 

He emptied out the remainder of the oil and 
behold, the bottom was full of golden dinars. 

So he rejoiced exceedingly, and took the 
money and put it in a secret place, and the skin 
he left there in his house. 

Now shortly after this the merchant, who had 
been delayed by unfavourable winds, returned 
from his journey. 

He had been to many far countries and made 

180 


TALE OF THE MERCHANT 


trafic in merchandise, and after many hardships 
and troubles he was enabled to return. 

Now when his friend heard of his return he 
was exceedingly troubled in his heart. 

For he thought to himself, “ What shall I do 
that I may keep all these monies?” and he said 
to himself, “‘ Now my friend did not say that he 
was entrusting me with a skin of dinars, he said 
only that he had left a skin of oil.” 

So he went to the bazaar and sought for 
coco-nut oil and brought it to his house, and he 
filled up the skin with the oil he had brought, 
and he fastened it securely, after the same 
manner in which it had been done up formerly. 

Now when the merchant had rested awhile 
he set off straightway to the house of his friend, 
and he saluted him. His friend bade him draw 
nigh, and he asked him for the news of his 
journey. 

So they conversed awhile, and then the 
merchant said, “‘ The night is closing in ; I must 
with your permission now return to my house.” 

As he took leave of him he feigned to have 
suddenly remembered the skin which he had 
left in his house, and he said to him, “ My 

181 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


friend, have you that skin of oil I left with 
you?” 

So his friend said, “I had forgotten about 
it, but perhaps it will be in my store, where it 
has lain since you left. I will go and look for 
"Ags 

So he entered into the house, and presently 
came forth with the skin and said, “* Here it is, 
my friend ; I have found it safe and sound.” 

So the merchant took his skin and went his 
way. 
When he reached his house he opened it with 
haste to look for his dinars. 

He poured out the oil, but behold, the gold 
was not there. Then was he seized with great 
wrath ; so he poured back the oil and ran back to 
his friend’s house and asked him, ‘‘ Where are 
the golden dinars I left with you?” 

His friend asked him, ‘‘ What golden dinars 
did you leave with me? You left only that skin 
of oil, which I have now returned to you. I 
have kept it all these days for you, and now 
you accuse me of having taken some golden 
dinars.” 

So the merchant said, “The golden dinars 

182 
























































nd his oil-skin. 


The Merchant a 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


were in the bottom of that skin of oil, but now 
they are not there.” 

His friend said to him, “ You are a very 
cunning man. You told me yourself that it was 
only a skin of oil you left me. Now you say 
that it was full of dinars, that I may be beaten 
and imprisoned without cause.” 

Then was the merchant exceedingly angry, 
and went straightway to accuse his friend before 
the Sultan. So the Sultan had his friend called 
and asked him, “‘ Did the merchant leave with 
you a skin full of dinars ?” 

The friend replied, “ No, by Allah, he left with 
me only a skin of oil, and that I have returned.” 

The merchant said, “By Allah, three years 
ago, when I left on a journey, I entrusted him 
with askin full of dinars, but my heart was 
afraid, and so I told him that it was a skin of 
coco-nut oil. On my return, when I searched 
in the skin, I found but oil, and that the dinars 
had been extracted.” 

The friend said, “‘ By Allah, it was a skin of 
oil he left with me, and I gave it him back 
unopened as I had received it.” 


When the Sultan had heard the words of both 
184 


TALE OF THE MERCHANT 


men he was unable to decide which of the two 
was in the wrong, and so he dismissed the case. 
Now the merchant left the audience hall, and 
his heart was very sore at the loss of his wealth. 
As he went forth he met an oil merchant of that 
town, and he asked of him the news, and he 
told him the whole story from the beginning 
to the end. 

When the oil merchant had heard his story 
he said to him, ‘‘ Now if I am able to make 
the Sultan decide the case in your favour what 
payment will you make me?” 

So they agreed together, and he said, “I will 
give you the half of whatever money is restored 
to me.” 

So the oil merchant went quickly to his shop 
and poured out two bottles of oil, and in the one 
bottle he left the oil as it was, while to the 
second he added a little dye, which made its 
colour darker than the first. 

Then he sought out a friend and told him the 
whole matter, promising him half the reward if 
he would help him in the case. 

So the two went to the Sultan, and the oil 
merchant asked audience of the Sultan. 


185 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


When he came before the Sultan he said to 
him, “Oh Sultan, I have a complaint to make 
against this man. He is in my. employ and 
comes daily to work in my shop. 

“Now my trade is the crushing of coco-nuts 
and the retailing of oil, which I sell at my shop, 
and in my store I have many vats of oil. 

“‘ Now yesterday, after this man had left my 
shop, I noticed that the oil was decreased in one 
of the vats, and I went to the house of this one 
and I found him in the possession of a skin of 
oil.” 

So the Sultan turned to the accused and said 
to him, “ Are these words true? ”’ 

So the accused said, “ No, they are false, for 
the oil which was found in my house was oil 
which I had bought elsewhere and paid for with 
my own money.” 

So the Sultan turned to the oil merchant and 
said to him, “Do you hear his words? Have 
you any proof that the oil you found in his 
house came from your vat?” 

So the oil merchant said, “ Yes, oh Sultan, I 
have proof, for the oil in that vat was very old 
oil, three years in age, and therefore of a different 

186 


TALE OF THE MERCHANT 


colour to the oil of this year. Now no other 
merchant in this town has any oil of this age.” 

Then he brought forth the two bottles of oil, 
and, taking the one he had dyed, said, “ Now 
this is oil from that same vat, and the oil found 
in this man’s house was of the same colour.” 

Taking the second bottle he said, “‘ This is oil 
of this year, and, as you will perceive, it is of a 
lighter colour.” 

Then the Sultan turned to the accused and 
said to him, ‘“‘ You have heard his words ; what 
words have you to answer him with?” 

Then the man fell on his face before the 
Sultan and said, “Oh, I repent, my master; I 
did take the oil, for I am a poor man and have 
no money, so forgive me, for I repent.” 

Now when the Sultan heard that the oil of 
three years ago was of a different colour, he 
bethought himself of the case of the merchant 
and his friend, in which the merchant had en- 
trusted his friend with the skin of oil three years 
previously. So, telling the oil merchant to stand 
aside, he sent quickly to recall the case. 

When they came before him he said to the 
merchant’s friend, “When did you say that it 

187 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


was that you were given that skin of oil by the 
merchant?” 

He answered him, “It is now three years 
since.” 

So the Sultan asked him, “ Have you since 
then opened the skin or taken any of the 
oil out?” 

He answered, “No, by Allah, I returned it 
just as he gave it to me.” 

So the Sultan commanded the skin to be 
brought, and then he called for the oil merchant 
to bring forth his two bottles of oil. 

When he compared the oil in the skin with 
that in the bottles he found that it was like that 
of the lighter colour. 

So the Sultan said to the man, “ How is this 
now, that if you received this three years ago 
and have not opened it since, that the oil in the 
skin is oil of this year?” 

Then was the man exceedingly afraid, and he 
trembled, for he knew that he had put fresh oil 
in the skin. 

So the Sultan sent soldiers to his house, who 
found there the dinars he had secreted away, 
and they were restored to their owner. 


188 


TALE OF THE MERCHANT 


Then the Sultan turned to the oil merchant 
and asked him, “ Now is this man truly as he 
says a poor man?” 

So the oil merchant replied, “ Yes, truly, my 
master, he is a very poor man, and I wish to do 
him no harm.” 

So the Sultan said, “‘ Then shall I pardon him 
of his offence.” 

So the Sultan pardoned the accused, and gave 
to the oil merchant a reward, in that he had 
shown him a way to prove the guilt of the 
merchant’s friend. 

So the oil merchant took that reward of the 
Sultan, and also half of the dinars which had 
been restored to the merchant, as his fee for 
winning the case for him. 

So he took these monies and shared them 
with the friend who helped him, and they went 
their way rejoicing. 


XXVII 
BATA THE DUCK 


OncE upon a time there was a duck called 
Bata, and she lived with her husband, and they 
were very happy, for they had never seen the 
face of man. ‘Till one day there came a man 
to their home, and he fired his gun and killed 
Bata’s husband. 

When she saw that her husband was dead 
Bata was very unhappy, and flew far, far away 
to a country where man had never come. 

There she met a peahen, and that peahen 
made friends with her and asked her name. She 
said, “I am called Bata.” 

Then she asked her, “‘ Why are you trembling 
oF 

Bata answered, ‘“‘ Do you know man?” 

The peahen said, “ No, I have never seen 
one.” 

Then said Bata, “I tremble to think of man 


1g0 


BATA THE DUCK 


and how he has made me a widow, for he killed 
my husband.” 

Then the peahen said, “‘ I have a husband too, 
and he is very beautiful.” 

So she took Bata to her husband the peacock, 
and when Bata saw him she began to weep. 
That peacock said, “Why do you weep?” 

Bata answered, ‘“‘I weep to see how beautiful 

ou are, and to think that if man sees you he 
will surely kill you.” 

“What is this creature called man?” asked 
the peacock. 

““He is a creature of great guile,” replied 
Bata. 

After that she travelled on till she came to a 
big river, and she swam up and up the river till 
she came to acave. She looked into the cave 
and there she sawa lion. The lion asked, “« Who 
are you?” 

She replied, “‘ I am Bata the Duck.” 

Then the lion asked her, ‘‘Why are you 
trembling ?” 

She answered, “I am trembling to think of 
man.” 


The lion asked, “‘ What is this man ? ” 
1g! 


675 


Zio *izzA 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


Bata said, “ He is a creature of great cunning, 
who is even able to kill you.” 

The lion said, “‘ Then this man must be very 
big and strong.” 

“‘ No,” said Bata, “ he is neither big nor strong, 
but his guile is great.” 

Just then a dikdik came running past. When 
it saw the lion it stopped and greeted him. The 
lion asked, ‘“‘ What are you running from ?” 

The dikdik said, “I am running away from 
man.” 

“What is this man like ?” said the lion. 

“Oh, he is very cunning,” answered the dikdik, 
and scampered off. 

Presently a bushbuck came running up. When 
it saw the lion it stopped and greeted him. Then 
the lion asked, “ What are you running from ? ” 

The bushbuck said, “I am running from man.” 

“What is he like ?”’ said the lion. 

“Oh, he is very cunning,” answered the 
bushbuck, and ran off. 

Next an eland came galloping up, and when he 
saw the lion he stopped and greeted him. The 
lion asked, “ And whom are you running away 
from? Is it also this creature called man?” 


192 


BATA“ THE: DUCK. 


The eland answered, ‘‘ Yes, I am running from 


man.” 


The lion said, “‘ This man must be a very big 


animal, that one of your size 
should be afraid of him.” 

“‘ No, he is not big,” said the 
eland, “but his guile is very 
great.” 

The eland galloped off, and 
presently a buffalo came tearing 
past. When he saw the lion he 
drew up and greeted him. The 
lion asked, “And are you also 
running away from this creature 
called man?” 

The buffalo said, ‘‘ Yes, it is 
indeed he from whom I am 
running.” 

Then said the lion, “ This man 
must be a great and powerful 
creature, that one of such a terri- 





= 


ee 
Cy 
% — 7 


Z 
De 
r mel 
7 






AFRican 
Eland 





fying appearance as you are runs from him.” 
The buffalo said, ‘‘ No, he is small, but his 


guile is exceedingly great.” 


« 


Then the buffalo rushed off, and presently there 


193 


O 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


came fortha man. Now that man was a carpenter, 
and he carried planks under his arm and his bag 
of tools over his shoulder, Suddenly he looked 
up and saw the lion, and he said to himself, ““ Now 
I am indeed lost, for there is a lion, and I have no 
weapons.” 

That lion, when he saw the man, asked him, 
““Who are you who are walking so slowly and 
carefully ? All the animals who have passed here 
were running away from the creature called man. 


How is it that you are not afraid of him, that 


ou do not make haste to escape ? ” 

Then that man saw that the lion did not recog- 
nise him for a man, so he took heart, and said, 
“‘ No, it is not man, but the elephant I am afraid 
of, for I am the servant of the elephant, and he 
has called me to make a house for him. For 
the elephant fears this man whom you speak of, 
so I now go to make him a house, so that when 
he goes inside it man cannot get him.” 

The lion said, “ First you must make such a 
house for me.” 

That man said, “No, I cannot, for I have 
promised to make it for the elephant.” 

But that lion insisted on the man making him 


194 


sa 


re 
i 


i hs a 
Be aa Sater, Soave: 


BATA THE DUCK 


a house first, so that Carpenter put down his 
load and began making a box like a coffin. 

When he had finished it he madea door at one 
end, and then he said to the lion, “ Enter in, my 
master, and see if the house suits you,” 

So the lion walked in, and the man shut the 
door and cried, “ Now do you know me? I am 
that creature called man.” 

Then he took his axe and rained blows on the 
lion until he had killed him. 

When Bata saw this she flew away, and this 
was the beginning of her sitting always on the 
water, even to sleeping on the water in the middle 
of a pool, for fear of man who killed her husband. 





AFRICAN ORYX, . *Ptiveacemsase _ 


Seg eeed 


DAUGHTER. 


XXVIII 


Lonc ago in olden times there 
was a Sultan, and he had a daughter 
beautiful as the moon at its fulness. 

This Sultan said that he would 
only marry his daughter to a man of 
wisdom. So to all who came to 
seek his daughter’s hand he asked 
three questions. 

The first was, ‘“ When famine 
comes to a place and leaves it again, 
where does it go?” 

The second was, ‘‘ When sickness 
comes to a place and leaves it again, 


where does it go?” 
And the third was, “ When war 








comes to a place and leaves it again, where does 


1ecou 


No one was able to answer these questions for 
many months and many years, till at last there 


196 


THE SULTAN’S DAUGHTER 


came a man who said, “I will answer your 
questions, oh Sultan.” 

The Sultan replied, ‘““Speak on, stranger.” 

So that man said, “‘ When famine comes to a 
country and leaves it again it goes to the idle, 
for they make no profit and sit always with 
hunger for a cup-fellow. 

«When sickness comes to a country and leaves 
it again it goes to the aged, for they sit always 
with sickness and death for a companion. 

‘“ When war comes to a country and leaves it 
again it goes to those men who have more than 
one wife, for in their houses quarrels never 
cease.” 

When the Sultan heard these words he was 
very pleased, and gave his daughter to the 
stranger. 


a7 





XXIX 


THE LION, THE HYAENA AND 
THE HARE 


Once it happened that a lion, a hyaena and a 
hare set out on a journey together. 

The way was long, and they suffered much 
from hunger. Till one day, when they were as 
yet far distant from the end of the journey, they 
were so sorely pressed by hunger that they gave 
up all hope of getting any further. Then they 
took counsel together and said, ‘‘ Now we shall 
all die, and not one of us will escape. It were 


198 


THE LION, HYAENA, AND HARE 


better that we eat one of our number, so that the 
other two may get the strength to proceed.” 

So they all agreed that this must be done, but 
they could not agree as to who should be eaten 
and who should be saved. At last it was decided 
that the youngest amongst them should be eaten 
by the other two. 

Then said the lion to the hare, ‘‘ Now tell us 
your age, that we may know.” 

The hare replied, ‘“‘ Am I not the smallest and 
weakest here? It would not be fitting for me to 
speak before the great ones. You, my masters, 
tell your ages first, and then I will speak.” 

So the lion turned to the hyaena and said, 
“You must then speak first.” 

The hyaena thought awhile and then said, 
“My age is five hundred years old.” 

The lion then said to the hare, ‘You have 
heard the hyaena, now you must speak.” 

But the hare said, ‘““ How can I speak before 
you, my lord, have spoken ?” 

The lion thought and then said, “I am two 
thousand years old.” 

When the hare heard these words he wept. 
The other two asked him why he wept, and he 


Ne be) 


BLACK TALES FOR WHITE CHILDREN 


said, “Oh, my friends, I weep to think of my 
eldest son, my first born, for it was on a day just 
two thousand years ago that he died.” 

So the lion killed the hyaena, and when he and 
the hare had eaten him they were able to get 
strength to go on, and they finished their journey 
in safety. 








RicHarp Cray & Sons, LimiTep, 
BRUNSWICK STREET, STAMFORD STREET, S.E.., 
AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. 





ef 


ea ee > 


CHEUNIVERS/7 


— Haoanyy4* 


sraowv-sor® 
NE ER, 


AS IT¥):40 


ELIBRARY 4 


“ISHII a 


OF CALIFORY, Ne 


i 
3 
=! 
“3 
yy 


ORAVURNT Ww 


en 


tt mi 


“emaoyson 
<AHELNIVE 2g 


SAR LE DALAT UZ 
AMOI) 


AX 


MAD LIDRAR TUS 
ah OTE ION ACY 


= hea 


-QEUBRARY Oe 


on 


LOS ANGLES: 


RAI 





YO NVAAT: ie ‘STIONY-SOF “USHIAINM: we 
spl0S ANGELES AE LUBRARY O¢ a EY, a 
EAs EUs Uy z 
eee == 2 
ee UNIVERS a 
eS TTY OF 

LIS preriie LIBRARY 
Na This book is DUE on the last date 
Ss Birra Stamped below, 
= { 
Load 
i, 


TAC.ANCEL EG. 


TONY: Je SINE 


AELIBRARY: ‘Of, 


SA ey? 


105 ANG 
ENNIS 





*VAUT uw — 


vee: 


ME INVER. 


403T1Y)-40" 


315 
QNlOSANCHLED, 
oe ort 
2 = 
= a SS 
S = 
oS. Sy 


s pee) ie es 
ern 


cHEUNIVERS 


S 
> 


AELIBRAR 
yas 


~HY-SOIS 


NIVERS/py 





ANIE.UNIVED C7), 
Me uUlyiy ENO// 
S cP O 

= eal), ) = 
— = 
‘%, = 

“OT NV-SOV 

E-LIBRARY. 
3 & 
=) = 
= VS 


E- 
“ 


= 


E 


OF CAL FORY 


OF: CAL FOR, 
Y LZ 


TSH NING 


vt AIBRARY« 


ee) 
— 
—- 


LOS ANGEL 


“Waa Wed 
OF CALIFO! 


ne 







lO Net 


ees 


OF CALI FORs, 


~\: 


“Gan 
wi0S: eH 


FORY, 





AF CAL 


“sen 





WHO 


rele 


a 
“3 {129NY- con Ene JANDA 


VS 





occ CR perc AR de AT ell ee a PT anes Ge de 
Asan” “ORWHE™ “ones c 















AVEUIIVERS9) wg IM He, _AeUBRARY 
=) ; a 
<a § 9275 SS Ifo 
Sa) b ES ON 
“7 Oy-SO den raw Wagan) 4 eoaiy ¥-40 
wil { 
ND SS SANGRE, ai CANORA, Ri CALIFO 
5 =f S 2 
ee Se z 2 
Ss 2 2 P18 25M 
Zenmmsoss “asannaws  oaavuns®  onavuan 
AE-UNIVERS ~ LOSANGELER. f : WNGELES 
pes SS SAN EL 2 asuimanva bs Eel _ SHEN, gplOSANCtl es 
—j\2 Efg@ is §& = = & 3 
oe H\b= = 2 ae = & = 
Ee a 2 § = Ss rs S 
= o S A “A Ss ee) RS) 
TNYSOISS = sag aiwagyy? “yo lIN) wr — Aaogny40 Zen myo 
AEUNIVERS/>, ~LOSANGEL AN) f 
2 RS oD Eby, ai CALIFORY, gi CALFORY, git UNIVERS/, 
cane! Ric ty Oo ras So ae = 
BEE) iad iota ihe 5 Ss 5 5 s y = 
TEMS ISMIAIND- WS Yonmuanae — “oxuyyarna® <inwyson™ — Wsyzaiva ays 
EUBRARYOs, AQELIBRARY.Qe, < NEUNIVER/ gplOSANGELES <QEUIBRARYOs, 
el eal a =S > — & oe oe ‘ral & Ee . 
Aue a eee ese Ss § SS | 
= 2 = cS —- = = = ee fee 
ae a E = = oS . 
= 7 _ = Q Z = 
me jor ruOdNY)-40 “S. Smoaysos SHAAN? AMAQdTTY): jor “4aouny- 108 
CALFORy, OF CALIFORY, ee gnosanctte OFCALIFORY, OF CALIFORY 


<“pryony-sors 
st UNIVERS 
Zemamvsot’ 
AQELIBRARY.Oe, 
cane 11¥-40° 
OF-CALIFORy, 
YOMBVAN: w 
HEUIVERS 
aa 
tt eee 


< 
aie 
S 


aaa” — Yonyyyenae® Sra oNy-sors oe mt “OnE — “Oauyyanas 
E-UNIVERS 
My, _spios NCEE, ss UBRARYOe, <Q GUBRARY Dey SAEINIVER, sl OSANGELEY, 
a8 See Ze 2 8 ri 
=a = = =e = & =e = : 
ss 2s Bs Bs Ss 
nan ci T prvi a iit: can se ae ny 7, easel a Ss —~ > =," Fe a 


* 
bh 

eth pth es 
aie aghst sty Hebe] 
‘ Pires 


sat 
ore 
tsps eer : ain os ty: es eae 
Baths tat} ’ eth Ae Fae Pa 
a ist 


25° 
IRE 
: ie 
aI ks 
Rtv beeaeyy 7 
ty . 





eer ne Hons 
terra ati 


Cita 
Re rd wae pers 
webs 


¥ 
ny) cre 
tnt weed 
’ 


? 
bs feyeses 9 
- $s Re Pen 
en on Sra ie Cp Nas abate i ey 
a" Shy. abe 
ay 


wine a 


WESts ONE ta 
pay 


Bee ‘3 
a aixesstt ih arts 
Pascua 
vitae 


ai ies an Hon Auk 
eit S Fe Yee ne 
et on 





i 
ae 
¥eiee Ecers i 
Cre ene aes pets au) 
eats 2 Paks 
aN Wirete> 
densiiiss 


Ess 
pty 
on Hb ieshy 
> 2 8tapsst “ 
Sued eat state +2 Aba A 
2 as 


iis tires 


hs 
re) Ris ate 


$5 it? 


Seana 
Cae 


sy 
f tree vy 


rate Beene 
ae % 


ei, ie 
be oo ” GAS } 
fee . Wty 
Pier: hates esd eres 
PUA 


an ities 
vey eS I, ny 
ry 


arise Bashi 
Ae 


ny ear agit 


akon 
pcs 


arene. 
Boas “4 
+ 


Se 
Siens spot ah 
ta eo 








